


Delicious Ambiguity – Ghosting Dragon - Reinterpreted

by Maliciouspixie5



Category: BIGBANG - Fandom, Big Bang (Band), K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chaebol family (american), Drama, F/M, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, K-drama, K-pop References, Runaway, Secrets, V the artist, Vacation Romance, bts cameo, hidden identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:48:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 51,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26512432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maliciouspixie5/pseuds/Maliciouspixie5
Summary: “I was terrified.  I was told I was going to die at 24 and I just wasn’t ready.  And then I met you in a museum and I knew I didn’t want to go without experiencing life.  You gave me a love story; a tragic K-drama where boy meets girl, they fall in love, and she dies leaving him bereft but content in the end.  I wasn’t supposed to live, and you were supposed to forget me!”  This is the version where she survived but doesn’t remember and fate forgot to tell him that he was supposed to forget.“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.”  - Gilda Radner
Comments: 27
Kudos: 9





	1. INTRO: Too Fast to Live Too Yong to Die

**Author's Note:**

> Dedication: This is for my cousin who had a headache and two days later was gone from us. Life is just cruel. We’ve lost three family members just this April. My dad (76), cousin (24), and a great aunt (102). Stay safe guys. (As of August, between my husband and I we have lost 10 people in our circle of friends and family. Not all to the virus – but some of these deaths are just wonky – how do you have two people just die in their sleep with no freaking problems showing up?!)
> 
> NOTE: There are no mentions of scandals or the virus from hell in this fic. They have been wiped from my imaginary world; they do not exist. My dates are complete crap and I know I have them mixed up. Just chill and don’t get technical. Roll with it, that’s how we do things down south. It’s just too damn hot to make a fuss about much. I started this in September 2019 I’ve been working on it a while now. FYI: Christmas dinner story is true LOL. Kudo’s make my heart flutter and comments curl my toes with joy LOL.

CH 1 2017 Seoul, South Korea the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

Too Fast to Live Too Yong to Die  
I gaze up at the large canvas and honestly it just isn’t for me. I think I prefer my art it the classic form. I’m more a Monet fan than a Pollack fan. I’m just not for all these squiggles and things. I don’t want to interpret anything; I want my art pretty and none of this garbage welded together to represent something. I haven’t ever been able to draw anything better than a stick figure so why the hell am I here? I’m bored and my hired guide just got a call and jabbered to me in a mix of English and Korean that she had and an emergency and bowing apologetically left me here. Now I’m standing looking up at a navy-blue canvas with what looks like groups of houses and a brown dog plastered dead center of the canvas thinking ‘what the hell’. I’m sure some loaded sucker is probably going to pay the artist a small fortune for it. 

I twist the medic alert bracelet I had special made for me worriedly around my wrist. It’s rose gold, which I love, in the shape of seashells to remind me of home. It has a crafty little slot with all my medical info and contact information so if something happens my family will be notified. I never take it off, it’s a bitter reminder of why I’m away from home. 

“Blue boxes?” Questions a voice in English beside me! My heart leaps with joy! Thank you, Lord Jesus, Buda, Confucius, and whoever else is running the show in these parts. You sent me an answer to a prayer. I turn towards the voice to see a young man in a white cotton face mask, light weight scarf, and a bucket hat. A long sleeve shirt, light colored ripped jeans, and high-end kicks complete the picture. I think to myself, ‘in hiding kiddo?’ He looks young, but he could be thirty and look like a teenager here. Youth and beauty are in the locals’ genes and a major Korean industry. I am running with it, maybe I can get him to write out the address on a paper for me so I can make it home sometime before midnight. I hear all my mother’s warnings go off in my head but hell, I do not care anymore remember. My brain can go nova any minute, so I DON’T CARE!

I cannot help but smile, I keep forgetting I’m not in the south where we talk to random strangers at the drop of a hat. “You speak English? Oh, thank God!” I say with a grin that could possibly be scary to the locals. I have been trying to tone it down but obviously it is not working. ““Can you help me?” I look at him earnestly almost bouncing with excitement for even an accented English speaker. His eyes which are all that can be seen are amazing; they are a delicious chocolate brown, more cinnamon than walnut. He has a smokey line of eyeliner along the top lid and it should look feminine according my American standards but it does the opposite and gives him a seductive look and with the mask, scarf, and hat hiding his other features just adds to the lure. I ask him again if he could help me and I think he was stuck staring at me like I was him. 

He nods, “What can I help you with pretty girl.” I cannot help it I blush like a debutant caught with my knickers down. Wow I have not seen the rest of him, and with just the eyes and the voice he packs a punch. His voice is a little raspy with a hint of a nasal quality and I swear it sends a shiver down my spine. With only those things I am lured in but if he uncovers everything and then the rest of him looks like a troll doll I’m running. Maybe not, with those eyes coupled with that voice I could just ask him to cover back up again and quote me cheesy poetry till I resemble a quaking bowl of Jell-O. 

“My interpreter had an emergency, so she left me here. I have no idea how to get back to my Air B&B.” I explain quickly hardly bothering to breath. At his questioning look I continue, “Oh I know the general location, but the last time I took a taxi the driver didn’t speak a word of English and with my accent I butcher the Korean language.” Honestly, I thought I was never going to leave the parking lot with the driver. I finally just pointed up the road and he drove toward the big needle thing on the hill till something looked familiar. I probably paid his rent for the month. Lucky taxi’s here are cheaper than London. Why do I care again? I continue, “Could you write my address in Korean so I could give it to a taxi driver?” 

He nods and says, “For a cup of coffee, sure.” I got a corny pickup line! “Yes!’ I agree, I would have asked him for coffee as a thank you anyway. We leave the museum side by side and he seems to know where he is going. We make our introductions to each other as we walk. I give him my name and he introduced himself as Kwon Ji-yong. When we get to a quieter street with a small coffee house on the corner, he holds the door open for me. Wow, I have found a gentleman. I ask him what he would like, and he asks for a latte. When we reach the head of the que, I order his latte and for myself an Americano black. I am not a big sugar fan and like my coffee hot, dark and strong. You should see me on a twelve-cup or more day during finals week. I look like a strung-out zombie. He tries to pay but when I whip out my black card he stops. I am a Lane of the Baldwin County Lanes and second heir of LaneCorp’s founder; no financial worries here my friend. Can we just say I am a very, very well-funded trust fund baby and leave it at that? My father’s family isn’t the Walton ‘Walmart’ family rich, but we are in the top fifty. Yep, no worries financially, health wise well let’s not get me angry thinking about it.

We pick up our coffees when they are ready, and I follow him toward the back of the café to a quiet corner table secluded behind some large plants. After he pulls down the mask and winds off the scarf he leans in and asks about my B& B. I am in shock, wow, the lips, kissable full lips. I tell him the name of my B & B, I have no clue what the intersection road names are, and after a little confusion with my butchering the language he figures out where I’m located and jots it down on a napkin for me for later when it’s time to leave. We talk about ourselves. I tell him about Fairhope, my small town on the bay in Alabama. He introduces himself again as Kwon Ji-yong and tells me that he is in management with a local company. He isn’t lying but I sense that there is more to this guy than a desk jockey. His hands are not rough from labor so not a laborer. He has an air of command, a kind of natural arrogance; it takes one to know one if you get my meaning. 

“What brings you to Seoul?’ he asks, clearly interested. I am distracted by just looking at him and get caught unaware, he is so pretty. His skin is clear and pale, not a blemish to be seen, wow this guy is gorgeous. Now he just needs to take the damn hat off. I come back to myself and laugh at that question like it is the biggest joke in the world. Pushing a fallen wisp of hair behind my ear I tell him with a conspiratorial whisper, “I’ll tell you if you can keep it a secret” I am flirting! My mom would shit rose smelling bricks! “I ran away from home.” Oh, shit he looks like he is going to bolt, not good! I giggle and do my best to defuse the alarmed look he has. “Shh, don’t worry.” I pat his hand only to cut it short, I am doing the touching thing again. I must remember he isn’t one of my brothers. Not really brothers but that is another story. “It’s not like that. I was in college, studying law like my parents expected when I had a life crisis. I lasted almost a month with the stares from everyone and whispers behind my back as I walked by, then one day that was it, I had had enough. I went home, packed a bag, and booked myself a trip to London.” Only I could call an unexploded bomb in my brain a life crisis. It is my life and it is in crisis, so therefore life crisis. Let me explain, I am dying. I am a walking talking dead person, my body just hasn’t got the message yet. But one day, could be anytime now, the small blood vessel that has made a little balloon in my brain is going to pop and the lights will go out for good. So, fuck it, fuck it all!

“London? I like London.” He says. 

“Me too! I spent a month there and met this girl, Stacey who was backpacking through Europe. She talked of visiting Japan with her parents as a kid. She was nuts about the cherry blossoms and the Harajuku girls, and how peaceful it was. So, I said to myself what the heck I have always wanted to see Asia, let’s go see what she loved about it.” He looked at me like I was insane. What, they don’t do impulsive things here?

“Tokyo peaceful?” is all he said with a raised eyebrow.

“Honestly, yeah! I freaked out and almost begged to get back on the plane once I was there. Everything was moving, the place just never stopped. It was nothing like the zen garden I pictured it to be. Tokyo was life in fast forward. But after a week I met some American expats working there. One of the girls was a party girl and she described Seoul as a safer place for a lone traveling female. So, I hopped on another plane and I’ve been here for almost a week now.” 

“So, you came here to party,” he asks. “I can show you around, clubs.”

“Oh no,” I stop him there. “The party girl I met warned me about the boys and the clubs. She called them fuck boys, sorry I don’t mean to offend with my language but that is how she described those guys, you know. Because that was all they were after, sex. I’m here for beauty, spas, pampering, art, history, and the cure. I’m kind of boring that way.” If he is disappointed in my answer, he doesn’t show it. We drink and talk and an hour slips by without us realizing it.

I was listening to him describe the Gyeongbokgung Palace and how you can dress in authentic costumes to visit it when he stopped mid-sentence and looked up at a presence beside us. I looked up to see a tall man with blue hair and bushy eyebrows holding a hat and scarf standing beside the table. He slides in uninvited next to Ji-yong, pushing him to the other side of the booth. Well that was rude, I thought, but my verbal diarrhea takes over as usual and I blurt out, “Oh my God, it’s a Korean cookie monster!” Ji-yong who had just took a sip of his latte, sprays his drink on the table in laughter, luckily missing me. Coughing, laughing and trying to breath he looks over at his friend. Oh no I have offended him. His face is stunned, and his eyes are wide at my unintentional exclamation. Why oh why is my verbal filter missing at times like this? 

His eyebrows have that angry look and I try to console him by explaining Sesame Street. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, you don’t know what I’m talking about do you,” I look over at Ji-yong and ask him to translate my apology. I tell him about cookie monster, and he seems appeased enough to give me a mischievous smile. I hope we are okay. He then leans toward Ji-yong and rips his cap off. A bright explosion of red orange hair is exposed. Oh my god, what is it with the crazy hair? He asks me a question in Korean and Ji said he wanted to know what I thought of his bright hair. 

It pops out, “Oh, he’s a firecracker, a big explosion of color.” Ji-yong smirks at his friend and wags his eyebrows. Cookie Monster throws his head back and laughs and then looking me straight in the eye says with the most fake innocent expression in halting English, “He a Big, big bang.” I blush thinking yep I bet all the girls say he’s a big, big bang and wonder if he is one of those guys the girls warned me about. Ji-yong elbows him in the ribs and tells him something fast in Korean, maybe correcting him. The other then nods and rudely rolls his eyes. Ji-yong makes a quick introduction. Cookie Monster is called Seung-hyun and works with Ji-yong. He doesn’t look like a desk jockey either. Yep, I think may be hanging out with two gang members or maybe two guys from a host club. Host club, hmm, Ji-yong didn’t argue when I picked up the tab. Do they have host clubs in Seoul?

Seung-hyun is bored and wants to go clubbing and has Ji-yong ask if I am interested and I have to say no. I explain to both that I’ve never been into the club scene. I don’t have anyone here looking out for my wellbeing and to make sure I don’t get roofied. I tell them I’ve never been into clubbing, and they look at me like I’m from another planet. I defend myself by explaining I was too busy with school. Well, honestly, I’ve never been interested in joining my brother and his friends on their ‘let’s pick up someone easy and get laid’ outings. One trip with them and getting deserted in a bar when they all hooked up was a lesson well learned. So no, I think I will stay out of the bars. 

They beg and swear that will be by my side the whole night to keep me safe, but I tell them I’m still a little jet lagged and ready for my bed. They call me a taxi and wait at the curb with me after covering up everything except their eyes. These guys are surely hiding something I hope they aren’t running from the police or something worse. I don’t want to get caught in some kind of police raid and end up in a foreign jail. 

Seung-hyun suggest that we use the same taxi since we are heading in the same direction and they can drop me off first before going their way. I agree and we all pile in the backseat of the taxi with me hugging the door. I can feel the heat of Ji-yong’s body next to me and I can’t help but observe him being this close. I see little wisps of red hair peeking out from under his hat and a peek of a tattoo on the back of his neck. I remind him of the name of the building and location again and he relays it to our driver and after a moment we are on our way. 

Ji-yong tells me that I’m in a very good area. They laugh when I tell him I only chose the home because of the fridge. There is nothing more off putting for me than a dinky little fridge. Seung-hyun invites himself and Ji-yong up to see said fridge and after a moment’s hesitation I acquiesce, he is just being nosy, and I don’t get a serial killer vibe from him. So, we fall out of the taxi and head up to my flat after Seung-hyun pays the driver. 

It’s a nicely appointed studio but a little too modern for my taste. I’m more into English traditional or beach side bungalow tropical. But it has my big fridge and lots of metal appliances in the kitchen which go a long way toward my happiness. A big screen TV and decent view of the city are also a perk. As I unlock my door, I hope I picked up my dirty clothes before I left for the day. I will be mortified if any of my underwear is lying about. 

I was telling Seung-hyun and Ji-yong about the roof top terrace on our way up the elevator and how it reminds me of a place I once vacationed at in Cozumel Mexico with the cabana beds draped in net. Seung-hyun, being a bit excitable, of course wants to see that too. I offer them a drink before we go up and open the fridge. It’s full of takeout containers and about six bottles of wine that I’ve picked up at various places and a couple bottles of water. I also made myself a pitcher of sweet tea. Seung-hyun homes in on the wine and chooses a red he likes, so I grab a corkscrew and tell Ji-yong to grab some glasses out of the cabinet next to him. We climb two flights to the top floor and find the rooftop deserted. Good, I didn’t want anyone distracting me. 

The guys pull off the masks, unwind the scarves, and remove their hats. Seung-hyun uncorks the wine and pours it like a pro sommelier. Host club, I think again. As soon as we are comfortable, we’re swapping stories of our lives. We’ve robbed all the other beds of their pillows and we lounge like Romans sipping wine and talking. The lights of the city are beautiful and some of the brighter stars peek through the light pollution adding ambience to the scene. It’s a beautiful night in a beautiful city.

Ji-yong asks again about me running away. “Aren’t your family worried and looking for you?” 

I reply nonchalantly, “Yes, but I keep them updated every couple of days and they have agreed that with the situation they will give me some time to myself.” I refuse to tell them why I ran; I don’t want their pity or even worse the quick excuses to get away from the loaded bomb that is in my brain. We discuss families over multiple glasses of wine and laughter.

Seung and Ji talk of when they met. They collapse with laughter when after Seung tells me of them rapping as children and I wrinkle my nose in dismay. I’m sorry, I hate most American rap, calling women bitches and hoes just makes me crazy mad. I actually like Linkin Park and a couple of other groups. They swear oaths that they will change my mind on their favorite musical genre. 

“Do you listen to K-pop?” Ji asks with an odd look on his face.

“That’s the local stuff, correct? Not really, I only half pay attention to it when it’s playing in a store or some one’s radio in a taxi. I have my phone loaded with music from home to keep me busy.”

“Music is universal. You should listen to all music.” Ji says and asks for my phone. I open it to music and hand it over. I forgot how I titled some of my playlists. Oh lord this will be embarrassing. “Pissed at World? Explicit Ammunition? Moody Rag Music?” he asks with an amused look. Crap, he noticed. 

Seung is laughing and crowding him trying to see what I have stored on there. “Explain” is all he says in that deep, rich voice of his when he reads it and I swear to god he reminded me of my sixth-grade teacher when he caught me looking up naughty words in the dictionary. 

“Okay, one week out of the month a girl has….” I laugh and stop talking when both look a bit squeamish. “Everything on that playlist is moody and slow. Pissed at world is all my angry music. I have some issues, don’t judge. Explicit Ammunition is for a game my brother and our gang play sometimes.”

At their questioning looks I explain. “I got a karaoke machine one year and hated it. It’s not as popular at home as it is here, especially for a group of teenagers. When I discarded it in the playroom my brother and his friends took it over. We turned it into a dice game at first. You roll into three categories, tame, rock, or humiliation. Tame is a ballad of your choosing. Rock or pop if you like. The last category is humiliation, it is like playing a form of truth or dare using music to embarrass you. You don’t get to choose for yourself if you roll humiliation the group chooses for you. You must sing what we tell you to sing and you also must play it out. It gets bad especially for me since I’m the only girl allowed into the group.” They looked interested. “So, we all look for explicit or embarrassing songs for ammunition for the next game. That playlist is my collected dirty and embarrassing songs list. It’s tamer than the guy’s lists. The worst I have is Cattitude which thankfully I have never had to perform.” 

“It sounds like fun,” Ji says and Seung has an excited look in his eye like he wants to play. We discuss music late into the night with the city humming around us.

I awake to a chilly dawn snuggled up to someone outdoors on a cabana bed. It took me a moment to recall last night. I have no clue when I fell asleep but one of the guys must have pulled one of the sheer curtains off the cabana and it now covers us. It’s doesn’t really help with the morning chill, but Ji-yong is like a furnace. I snuggle into him a little closer and breathe in his scent. I will use the excuse that I’m doing it in my sleep if I’m caught. I just want to squeal in pleasure when he kisses me on my forehead and whispers for me to wake up. 

I open my eyes to see his staring into mine and I think he looks even better with that just woke up look than he did last night and before I can stop myself my traitorous mouth speaks, “Wow, that’s a first. I’ve never slept with one guy much as less two.” Do I have turrets! Why can’t I muzzle my mouth?

Seung-hyun shakes with quiet laughter on the other side of Ji-yong, well he understood that at least. No translation needed. We quickly untangle ourselves, grab our glasses and the empty bottle and sneak down the stairs to my apartment. After quickly using the facilities the guys donned their disguises and make a quick getaway. Ji-yong did get my phone number so maybe I will hear from him again. If not, it was a magical night. One of those nights that after it happened you don’t know if it was real or some strange fever dream. Oh, I hope he calls. Last night was just one of those magic nights and I selfishly want more. 

///\\\\\///\\\\\

I get a call later that day from Ji-yong asking if I am interested in doing some tourist things with him as my tour guide. I jumped on that like a rabid dog. Heck yes, I want more time with Ji-yong! After we make our goodbyes I squee and do a happy dance. I have a vacation romance going. I write every moment in my journal with a goofy smile on my face. I’m living now! 

We talk on the phone every night sometime for a few short minutes and sometimes for hours. I get to see him maybe two or three times a week. I’m happy. On my days that I’m not with Ji-yong I visit doctors and surgeons for consultations. The outlook is good. I think I’m in the right place. If there are answers to my problem, I hope I will find them here in Seoul.

On one date we visited a palace and I dressed in the traditional Hanbok dress. It was navy and had white gold leaves stitched into the cloth to match Ji-yong’s male version that he paired with a tall black hat. He even dyed his hair back dark telling me he did it so he wouldn’t stand out and be more authentic. Yeah, like I believe that, he is hiding something. Why else would he have covered up all his tattoos with makeup? I’m not going to worry. I on the other hand looked like a Disney princess if they had one for Korea. I constantly had to fight the urge to spread out my arms and burst out into song. I loved our day together and took a massive number of pictures. 

Later that night we sample traditional foods at my apartment. The table was full of takeout containers with every dish Ji-yong said I just had to try. We had enough to feed six people and even then, have leftovers. We had laughed at my reactions to each dish. My favorite is the spicy rice cakes. I took claim to the container with a playful growl after I tried it. I made Ji-yong go over and over with me how to say it correctly so I could order it again. Yum! 

We talk about everything. Living on the water, seafood, and cooking. He is going to take me to a Korean market and eat street food next. We talked the night away and he left around two in the morning. I slip into bed with a dreamy smile on my face and I hope I have dreams of Ji-yong. 

///\\\\\///\\\\\

Its afternoon and Ji-yong and I are going to a Noraebang which is another name for a Karaoke parlor here in SK. Seung-Hyun is on the way and bringing some more of their friends. When they had talked of the game my brother and I played the guys jumped on it. You know boys; anything you can do to bring embarrassment to a friend is the best kind of fun. 

I dressed in a tight pair of my favorite ripped Versace slim fit jeans, and an Iceberg white t-shirt with the lips and logo across the front with a fitted blood red linin men’s cut jacket. I finished it with my beat to hell and back Doc Martens. Always good for quick get a way or kicking ass or whichever comes first. Ji-yong looked approvingly at me when I opened the door, so I was happy with my choices.

We parked his very expensive car in the rear of the building. This just reenforced my idea that he is in hiding. I wonder if he is in something like the mafia or the Korean equivalent? I mean he does have a lot of tattoos and I think they are supposed to be illegal to get here. I will never ask though; I feel safe around him so that’s his business and I will mind my own. After entering through the back door, we walked through narrow corridors till we found the room with the number Seung-hyun had arranged for the group. It was large with a long sofa along one side with three small tables posted in front of the seats. You could probably put a dozen or more people in there it was that large. On the other side of the room was a small stage. To the side there was a control panel that I assumed controlled the music and light functions. I had never been in one of these places, so I had no expectations I just didn’t want to embarrass the hell out of myself.

The guys followed us in soon after. First through the door was Seung-hyun. He was dressed in a nice suit and looked ready to play with a mischievous look in his eye. I bet he had researched dirty musical lyrics and had a list of embarrassing music ready to go. In behind him filed another tall fellow with light brown wavy hair that had the happiest face I think I had ever seen. He was introduced to me as Dae, just Dae. Ok, another person probably on the lamb but he did have a face as sweet as sunshine and the sweetest laughing eyes. The next one in was a guy in black low-rise tight jeans and an even tighter shirt. I was scared to look down; those pants were so tight you could probably see his circumcision scar. Well that is if they do that here. He was introduced as Young-bae. Following him was a shorter fellow dressed like Seung-hyun but only flashier. This guy thought he was Casanova, and instantly reminded me of Dax back home. He was carrying a loaded bag full of drinks and with a nod toward us went straight to the table and started unpacking. Whisky, vodka, and some Korean drinks which I was unfamiliar with soon crowed the table. 

As soon as he finished unpacking Seung-hyun introduced me to him. Casanova’s name was Seungri. I nodded politely but took a step back and closer to Ji-yong. Seung-hyun saw me do so and just smirked. The guy gave me a vibe like Dax, no female within fifty feet was safe from being hit on. Ji-yong led me towards the couch I slid in and then he followed me. 

Ji-yong asked me to explain the rules to the others and I giggled. “Only I after I get a shot of that liquid courage Casanova just put on the table.” I said before I could stop myself. Shit! They all burst into laughter.” Hi guys,” I started off with a funny little wave as Casanova poured me a shot. “At home we start this off with Jaeger shots, but whisky will work,” and when he handed it over, I threw it back downing the whole shot in one swallow and shut my eyes as the burn went down. I opened them and smiled big then proceeded to spell out the rules like a stewardess giving the safety talk on an airplane. “There are three categories that go with this game. Roll a one or two and you sing a ballad, something modern please I don’t want any of that crybaby crap our parents listen too. Roll a three or four and you sing a pop or rock song, something fun that you like.” I look over at Seung-hyun, “That includes that icky rap you like.” The guys look at each other mischievously and snigger. “Now ballads or pops songs you choose for yourself, but, if you roll a five or a six you are ours to play with.” I rubbed my hands together and gave them a playful leer. “Now this is important, after the game there is to be no retaliation. I say this because by the time it’s over me and my brother is usually throwing punches but ya’ll look a bit more civilized, so we don’t have to worry about that do we?” I said ya’ll, Lord one shot and the Southern pops out. “Now are we ready? If so, we can roll to see who starts.” I pulled out the dice with a smirk.

Seung-hyun was first, then Young-bae, me, Ji, Dae, and last to roll would be Seungri. Seung started us off by rolling a ballad. He sang something called Bom Bom Bom. He did well but amusing with that deep voice. I liked it but didn’t understand a word he said. Next up was Young-bae he rolled pop, so he sang a catchy tune in Korean. Ji-yong translated for me by whispering in my ear with his arm casually thrown over my shoulder. I couldn’t help the shivers and I think he had more fun creating shivers than translating. I rolled next.

I stood up and took the dice and blew on them like I was gambling at the craps table. I made my pitch and damn if I didn’t hit a six. “Crap!” The guys cheered loudly and grouped together to decide what I would sing. “English please!” I shouted into their quick Korean discussion of song titles. Ji-yong borrowed my phone to flip through my naughty song list and I groaned. I know what I loaded in there. I’m in trouble. They chose a Fergie tune that fit the criteria. All I said was “Crap! These pants are too tight for that.” They laughed and Ji-yong loaded up the music. 

I stalked up to the mic rolling my hips and giving them a taste of what was to come. Then turned and growled to then sternly with my hands on my hips, “Okay, don’t make too much fun of me, and forgive me for whatever I may do!” I grinned and told Ji-yong to hit it as I turned my back on them readying for the start of the song. The music flowed out of the speakers and I started in on London Bridge, with one arm raised high and the mic to my lips in a classic Fergie pose. I have done this song a time or two on karaoke nights with the guys. I don’t like rap; it doesn’t mean I can’t do it. I turned with the music and started rapping along with the music like a pro and I would swear they went into shock. That song isn’t hard, and I’ve done it plenty of times with my brother and the guys. My voice isn’t the best, but I can carry a tune and my acting skills make up for anything lacking. I’ve perfected embarrassing my brother and trying to turn the guys on enough to make them squirm. When it was over, and I came back to myself I looked up at them and gave them my best fuck you beat that smirk. “Next,” was all I said as I pranced my happy ass back towards the couch. 

Ji-yong was next, and he hit a six also. Oh, goody I thought and leaned into the group and begged for Pony by Ginuwine. Seung-hyun and Seungri both knew that one, dirty minded little boys. And that is what we gave him to sing. He took to the stage with a swagger and let me say Magic Mike was a virgin schoolboy compared to him. He rolled those hips and took my breath away and strutted through that song like a world class porn star. The guys went insane cheering him on and then that fool started stripping. Young-bae was jumping on the couch like it was a trampoline and waiving his own shirt. I don’t think it takes much to get that one to strip. By the time the song over I was blushing and fanning my face. Ji-yong was topless and had the top of his pants unbuttoned. The guys were jumping all over the place cheering and rolling on the floor laughing. When he slid back next to me in the booth still buttoning his shirt he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Check Mate!” I swear I forgot to breath. I had the wild urge to ask if I could count the tattoos. Thank heavens we were in a group or my mouth would have asked without my permission.

Between the next roll which was Dae’s we took a small break for some quick shots and each of us had a beer. I nursed mine and wished I had a water bottle. I didn’t want to be out cold before this was over. Now I was just pleasantly buzzed. “Why does your brother let you play games like this with him and his friends?” Dae asked curiously. I forget they are a bit more reserved here. 

“I’m like group’s mascot or honorary little brother. I always followed them everywhere as soon as I could walk, and they all guarded over me like big brothers. I think half the time they forget I’m a girl.”

“We call that Maknae, little brother.” Seung-hyun said and I nodded. “Seungri is our maknae.” Seungri grinned and wagged his eyebrows. Yep, he is a Korean version of Dax. Mothers hide your daughters.

“In high school I had no hope of dating because they knew every guy that approached me and scared most of them off. But they included me in every prank from rolling yards to putting syrup the country club golf course holes.” I had to explain rolling and syruping and they thought it was strange thing to do but funny. I didn’t correct them. “Now days our games and pranks are more grown up.”

“How?” he asked. They all were quiet listening to me.

“Okay, look I know drugs over here are like seriously taboo so please don’t judge me, I’m American and things are a little different there.” There was a look that passed between the guys that wasn’t so innocent but again, I’m not asking any questions. “Plus, there is this big fish small pond thing my family has going where I am from. We get out of most of the trouble we get into with a slap on the wrist as long as it’s kept quiet.” This also caused a look to be passed around.

“At Christmas our family throws this big family get together and my mom is the hostess, well last year she was sick so she gave me the responsibility of hosting the gathering for the first time. I cooked all the main meal.” They looked at me funny. “Yes, I cook and I’m very good at it. I made a roast turkey and a huge pot of oyster gumbo. The family members each will bring a side dish and a desert. There is like thirty of us there, adults, teens, and toddlers. Lots and lots of food, it’s amazing. Like I said, it was my job this year to host. I had just finished cooking and was helping our cook straighten up the mess when my brother Finley and Dax, our youngest, came in toting this huge platter stacked full of brownies. I begged for one and they handed it to me. It was yummy gooey chocolate, so I gobbled it down like a starving orphan. I didn’t notice that it never came from the plate with all the other brownies. I ought to have known better because between the two of them they couldn’t make instant oatmeal.” By now they are elbowing each other and sniggering. It is funny looking back but it wasn’t then.

“They gave me a marijuana brownie, a very big one. It didn’t start to have any effect until the guest started showing up. By then I was stoned off my ass and the life of the party. Mom said I had to have been the best hostess she had ever seen. I mingled effortlessly with everyone and grinned the whole time like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. My pupils were big as saucers. They must have been dosed with something extra or a very strong strain, but they won’t admit to it to this day.”

They all saluted my brother and his prank with shots all around. This was my third shot, so I was determined to sip beer from then on. Dae was up next and he rolled a two and then sang this beautiful song call Baby Don’t Cry. He did well and his voice was amazing but honestly, I was still staring into Ji-yong’s eyes and not listening. Seungri rolled pop rock so they had him sing something in Korean, I only caught the words Break it Down. Two more ballads convinced us to just throw the dice back in my bag and turn this into a naughty song competition. I think all the shots contributed to the decision but what the heck we were having fun. It was more fun choosing risky songs for the others to sing anyway. As a committee we pondered over who would sing what and the longer it went on the louder and rowdier it got. The night ended with Ji-yong and me singing a duet. We sang Sexy Back by Timberlake and Timbaland. 

I sang Timbaland’s part and our chemistry on the small stage was electric. We played it for all it was worth, dancing around each other, teasing with a slick touch or a bump of a hip. I had a blast. The guys were mute until we finished, the moment we stopped they erupted in cheers, cat calls, and wild woops. Ji and I were both breathing hard and staring into each other’s eyes. We were very affected by our performance together; it was like foreplay on a stage. 

After that we closed it down. Ji-yong and I snuck out the back and the guys left by the front door. He kissed me goodnight and left me blushing in my doorway as he walked away. I was so tempted to call him back. I took a cold shower but still had to have a little help to get any sleep. The dreams that night woke me up the next morning turned on and frustrated. 

///\\\\\///\\\\\

I woke up with a headache this morning and called Ji-yong to postpone our trip to Jeju Island. He was going to take me to his holiday place for the weekend and I had been so excited and nervous. I wanted to go the next step but as I have never done anything like that, I was a nervous wreck. I have decided to let him take the lead, if it happens it happens.

I had explained to Ji-yong about getting bad migraines and he sympathized and told me to rest but I still wanted to see him so bad. I took some of my meds and told him that if he didn’t mind a drowsy date drooling on his shoulder to come any way and we could watch some movies and chill. When the doorbell rang it was Ji-yong with an icepack for my head and food for later. I slipped a movie in and we curled up on the couch with my head in his lap. He ran his fingers through my hair, and I was soon asleep. 

Hours later I awoke to kisses on each finger and something being slipped onto a finger. It was a ring made of rose gold and had tiny starfish and shells encircling it. It was simple and beautiful. I was speechless. “Hey, how are you feeling?” He whispered. 

I didn’t say a thing only reached my hand up to caress his cheek. I probably had goofy cupids circling my head. He leaned into my touch, so I lifted, and he leaned down at the same time and our lips met in a gentle kiss. It was an awkward position and we moved as one, my lips never leaving his as we flowed to lie pressed together on the couch. He was half on top of me as we kissed, and it was becoming more heated with every kiss. He leaned up and pulled off his shirt and I didn’t stop him only pulled him back down impatiently needing his touch, his skin to mine. I moaned as his lips trailed hot kisses to my jaw and down my neck. He stopped pulling back to look down at me. “Are you sure?” He asked and I nodded yes. 

He rose and pulled me to my feet. Holding my hand, we walked toward the bed. Standing at the foot he pulled the silky top from me gently kissing each clavicle and up my neck as he let it drop to the floor. He trailed kisses down only to stop and kneel before me and slowly pulled the lounge pants down for me to step out. He kissed each hip bone and almost purred. Slowly he stood and taking me by my hand pulled me with him onto the bed and into the center. We kissed languidly until he stopped and pulled back with a question, “Are you sure, positively sure?” I nodded again. “You know this is going to hurt.” He persisted as if to change my mind. I had no intention of stopping this, my bones were liquefying and the desperate need growing inside me was coiling tighter. 

“Well then be quick about it.” I said with a straight face only to ruin it with a nervous giggle. 

He laughed gently, “Protection?” 

“Pill.” I replied. He took my lips in a kiss and the world faded away.

///\\\\\///\\\\\

JPOV

Later he woke from a nap to find her standing at the window wrapped in a sheet looking out at the city lights. She was his, he had claimed his first virgin and instead of the trophy that some would thoughtlessly crow about he was so touched he was almost in tears. He admitted to himself it was love, a tentative fragile love but it had set roots in his heart tonight. 

He knew admitting this would only bring more problems into his life. He was rich, famous, and every aspect of his life was watched and controlled. He had carefully kept her from the public and his company’s sight with only the other band members ever meeting her. The team would keep quiet, they were brothers and brothers took care of each other’s secrets. 

The only one who knew how serious it was Young-bae. He had gone to him last week to ask about a gift for his girl. Bae was the most thoughtful person he knew. He showed his wife so much love in so many ways and made her feel loved and special. He would send her little handwritten notes, flowers, and even disappear from the studio mid recording to hand deliver a single flower if he was in a romantic mood. So, he had gone to him the first of the week to ask about a gift that would show Ridley his feelings for her. Bae had said nothing expensive or elaborate, just something special. He suggested that I give her a simple band of rose gold carved with seashells to match the bracelet that Ridley never took off. I got myself a male version that caught my eye so this could be our couples bands. I will have to explain that to her. Life is interesting when you date a foreigner who does not know or understand the customs. But it does give you something to talk about.

Ji-yong rose from the bed not bothering with clothes. Taking the sheet from her shoulders he pulled it around them both and held her just looking out at his city. Worries would wait for tomorrow. They had this magical night. Tomorrow they could talk about G-Dragon and what that meant for them. He would lay out the issues of them being together and then they would mutually come up with something. He nuzzled Ridley’s neck and took her hand to lead her gently back to bed. He made love to her gentle and slow and after she curled into him as they fell asleep. He felt complete, for the first time in a long time he was whole.

He awoke to the light of late morning sunlight coming in the window. He was alone and didn’t hear the shower so Ridley must have walked to the coffee house to get them breakfast. He yawned and stretched. Rolling over he pulled the covers up to snuggle down deeper into the pillow but his hand touched paper. Sitting up he looked at the folded sheet of paper that had been left on Ridley’s pillow. Opening it he at first expect to see a note telling him that she would be back soon with breakfast and coffee, but it wasn’t that sort of note. His heart felt as if it gave a hard thump and then stopped at the words he read. 

Ji-yong,

First, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for so much. I wanted to wake up beside you and watch the morning sun catch your face in its glow. Ji, I wanted so bad to see your eyes open for that first tentative glance at the dawn. See you when you first realized I was beside you and see the blush upon your cheek as you remembered last night. But I couldn’t, I knew if I did, I wouldn’t leave.

Yes, I’m gone. Please, please, please don’t be angry with me. You and I are both running from our responsibilities. You have your upcoming military duty and me, well I am running from my own demons. We both knew from the start that there was no escape for us. It was inevitable. 

It’s killing me to sit here watching you sleep. My heart is breaking with every breath I take. Ji, I know because of you I can face my demons. I’m going home to do just that. I’m not going to lie down and take what fate has given me. You have given me a strength that I didn’t know I had. I’m going to fight because of you. 

Remember me fondly. I will dream of a day when the world has no more demands upon us, and we are free to be ‘US’ again. I will dream about that day. 

I Love You Kwon Ji-yong, remember that no matter how angry you get. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I truly, madly, deeply love you.

Ridley


	2. Waiting for the End to Come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little dark and a filler chapter. Get the Kleenex ready… Oh, for a distraction from depressing things go to YouTube and look up ‘Shit Southern Women Say’ watch the Pandemic and Hurricane episodes. Hilarious and I blush to say I’ve said some of that stuff myself. Where I’m from the accents vary from Old Mobilian, Mississippi Magnolia, to dirt poor hill Billy. The influx of snowbirds from the north throw a hilarious mix into it during the tourist season, we can’t understand them, and they can’t understand us. 
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you Callasandra for reading and reviewing.

CH2 DECEMBER 2017 FAIRHOPE, ALABAMA

Waiting for the End to Come

The guys want to spend a little time together before my operation, so we plan to go sailing the weekend before surgery. Also, each of them plans to spend a day alone with me. I’m flattered. 

I meet Dax Wentworth the wildest of the group at Loda Bier Garten over in Mobile. The building isn’t anything special, but the guys like to hang out here and try the latest craft beer. 

Dax has always been trouble. He’s a six-foot, sandy brunette with Robin’s egg blue eyes. If you can think of it, he’s done it, and if it was something wicked, he will talk you into joining him for a second round. 

I slid into the seat across from him and picked up the menu. “Nasty boy, what is your trouble today?” I asked with a grin. Mom always told me that if you answer the phones with a smile you come across as friendly and personable. Well this skill, along with a summer at the Pixie Playhouse acting workshop as a teen has worked wonders for me when putting on a chipper persona. Give the world a big smile when you are crying on the inside and everyone will think things are okay.

“Thinking of getting shit faced in the afternoon Darlin’, wanna join?” He is so mellow, probably thanks to a joint smoked earlier in the afternoon, that she seriously considers the offer for a moment. But they are in town and the office is located here so someone would see and no matter what you must keep up the family image. A stoned and or drunk member of the Lane family in public would be the talk for some while and if someone got pictures. The gossips would eat it up and Grandmother would make her life hell.

Dax has the Old Mobile accent and he plays it for all its worth. He has girls on both sides of the bay chasing after him and he lets most catch him for a while. If Dax has one fault it’s his wandering dick that is always pointing towards the next catch. One day some equally nasty girl is going to catch him on a hook, and he won’t be able to break loose. This month he is dating Lexi Taylor, my arch enemy from high school. That cow has been chasing him and his family’s money since she was in braces and training bras. Now with strategically placed silicone and some very well-done dental inlays he has resolved to give her a go. I kind of hope he has a case of the clap to pass along to her.

The waitress approaches the table, “Hey Dax,” another fan it seems, “What can I get you?” I’m tempted to wave a hand in front of her face and yell ‘Oi, I’m here too.’ But this happens often, I think women’s ovaries must become rabid around Dax. Anyway, I’m used to it. This happens frequently enough with all my guys. As usual he lets the blatant come on go over his head and just says, “Weihenstephaner Original Lager and The Huge Jass Waffle Burger.” He is depressed, Dax eats weird when he is depressed. Either that or he’s pregnant. His senior year I caught him eating fried frog legs and blue berry jam one night. I know, weird combo but that’s Dax. He looks over at me and asks, “What would you like baby doll?”

I inwardly roll my eyes; this is also a method he uses when he wants to be left alone and get rid of girls. He uses the old Ridley as a decoy girlfriend. I have never and will never have any romantic feels for Dax. Lysol, antiseptic cream, and six condoms layered one on top of the other wouldn’t ensure that my girly bits wouldn’t be infected by some gross cooties he’s picked up from the multitude of women he’s bedded. Dax should come with a disclaimer stamped across his forehead – serial womanizer, handle with latex gloves and caution. 

“La Fin du Monde and the house burger, please.” I smile up at the waitress and hope she doesn’t poison me. She flounces off and I look at him, “Are you trying to get my me killed?” I ask in a whisper. “If you cause someone to spit in my food, I will not be happy.”

His face pales and I’m instantly sorry. “Oh, I’m sorry Dax. Look, let’s just eat and goof the rest the day off. Want to go to a movie?”

“No, I want to get stoned and forget our problem sweets.” He says then motions for the waitress. “Sorry luv, can you make those orders to go?” 

You know Dax is a bit of a dick, arrogant, and a slut, but I love him. “The old pier?” I say looking at him and he nods, we are on the same wavelength. The old pier is located on a back inlet by my parents’ house. The guys and I used to fish off it as kids.

“You read my mind.” 

An hour later and we are at the path to the pier. Brush and weeds have grown up around the area, so we walk carefully along the path, not wanting to step on a rattlesnake or water moccasin. “Let me go first,” he says as he walks out on the old pier testing his weight on each weathered board. He gets to the end and then motions to me to join him. I bring the bag with our burgers and a separate paper bag containing the beers and plop down next to him at the end of the pier. He rummages around in a pocket for a moment and comes up with a fancy cigarette case that when opened reveals two slim joints. He lights one and hands it to me and I inhale the bitter smoke. I hold it deep for a moment and let it go slow. “Where did you get this?” Wow, strong stuff.

“It’s lemon diesel, I got it off old Benny.” Old Benny is a stable in our area, it is unknown how old he really is because he looks like an old shoe you picked up at Goodwill. He has sun burned dark tan leathery skin and white fuzzy hair, a white scrappy beard, and a happy blissed look on his face from never coming down from a high. He is a lifelong stoner that has led a generation of college kids into cannabis heaven. His motto, which he will tell anyone is “Go natural, screw pills man. Don’t fall for the drug company conspiracies.” 

I take another hit, yep, smooth sailing today folks. I lay back on the wooden slats of the pier and Dax looks at me while I ponder the clouds. “This shit sucks sweets,” He mumbles. The he starts to cry; quiet tears and I can’t do anything to help him. I’m just numb. My consciousness is up there sailing with the clouds and can’t join him in his sorrow. Later after the second joint we eat the cold greasy burgers and fries with gusto like we are eating our last supper. Well ironically one of us might be.

///\\\\\///\\\\\

Ridley baited the hook with a chunk of bait fish and threw it out into the water then put the reel in the holder to wait for a hit. She and Sid were out on the gulf fishing, having their one on one goodbye. It was funny how all the guys were taking a day off just to spend time with her. Sid Gambino was the most laid back of all Finley and her friends. She loved all the big goofs, but he was special. He was the serious big brother, very worldly but quiet and always there for her in times of crisis. 

“Where is Delaney today?” Ridley asked. Delaney and Sid have dated for three years and both seem comfortable with just dating. But now that Sid has hit thirty the mothers were pushing him to make it permanent and give them grandchildren to dote over. 

“Um, I think she is dress shopping.” He had that small smile on his face that usually hid a big secret. 

“Oh, dress shopping huh? Would that be a white dress?”

“Yep, pass me a beer.” Short and sweet, that’s Sid. 

“I’m glad you finally did it, so when is the big day?” Would she even be here to see it? She mentally shook herself and turned away from that line of thought. Maybe she should write a book, “How to Talk to Your Terminally Ill Friend.” She was sure it would be a best seller. 

“Next Saturday,” 

“What!” She almost fell out of her seat in surprise.

We are going quick and simple, you know Dee. She wanted you to be there for her, I was supposed to ask you today if you feel like being maid of honor.” Ridley nodded her consent and choked down a knot in her throat, she was not going to cry. Dee’s parents were only children and she was the only child they had been able to conceive. She was an elementary school librarian and one of the shyest people Ridley had ever met. How she and Sid ever got together was a mystery to everyone. She was wonderful with children though, so Ridley hoped that they would break the mold and have an even dozen or well maybe just two or three for themselves.

They sat together, quiet watching their lines play out hoping for a nibble and a good fight. That is one good thing about Sid, you don’t have to keep him entertained with small talk. 

Near dusk they gave up. They each had a red snapper that hit the legal limits, so they were happy. She gave him the catch to clean. Nothing had been said about the operation, everything was unspoken nods and a momentary long fishy smelling hug before she got in her Jeep to go home. And that was enough, he might have had a tear or two in his eyes, but she knew he loved her, and all was good.

///\\\\\///\\\\\

“I want a tattoo.” I say out of the blue. Tommy is driving us towards Perdido Key and a little pizza joint the gang likes to frequent. Sweet Peppers has been there as long as I can remember, and I think they make the best thin crust mushroom and olive pizza in the south. Yes, mushrooms and olives, boring I know but I love the earthy taste of it. I’m probably the only person that they make it for.

“No, you don’t. If you come home with a tattoo you mother will kill me.” Tommy Neal is what you would call an all-American boy next door. He has model looks and the reputation of a choir boy. The world at large is so easily fooled. He gives off this sweet never done anything wrong in his life vibe. What the world doesn’t see is the little devil hiding behind those angelic looks. 

The guys call him Pop Gun, which is a crude way of saying he likes virginal girls that look just as sweet as he is. Oh, our boy quickly loses interest after the deed is done and cuts them loose but for some reason not one of those girls hold a grudge. It boggles my mind. If I were one of those girls, he would be missing body parts, but I guess he’s just so damn sweet about it they let him go thinking maybe one day he will return. I just shake my head, pathetic. 

“How about a Tardis on my hip?” We are both Dr. Who fans.

“No.”

“How about a bumble bee behind my ear? A teeny tiny one, microscopic?” I’m just floating random ideas. I don’t want a tattoo. I’m reminded of Ji-yong’s tattoos and must stop myself from tearing up. What is he doing now, this moment? Is he missing me like I miss him? Is he in the service yet? If so, are they treating him well, is he safe? I can’t look online to see; I refuse to even try. If I did and saw him with another girl, I think I would just go to sleep on the operating table and not want to wake up. 

“No, no, no. Whatever you come up with its going to be no.” He says with a grin.

“Oooo I’ve got one. I’m putting ‘Tommy was here’ on the inside of my thigh.”

“No! And if you do something that nuts you have to live because the guys and your family would tear me apart if the op doesn’t work and they find that.” He looks over at me, “And we both know I wouldn’t go there, ever, that is just incest.”

“Hmmm, maybe I should just ink ‘Ji-yong was here.’” I mumble.

“Who the fuck is Ji-yong?” He asks all serious now looking at me and not the road. He gets this little crinkle between his eyes. 

“My past. No one you need to worry with. Forget it and watch the road.” I say quickly.

“Tell me, please?” He asks quiet and serious, not looking at me so I will feel comfortable enough to talk.

“Ji-yong was my first. Everyone has one you know.” I hear him curse under his breath. “Tommy, look don’t tell any of the others okay?” I beg.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” he says with a slight growl to his voice, like if the guy did hurt me, he was about to go hunting for said guy to tear him apart. He would go get the others first and then they all would be in South Korea looking for Ji-yong and end up in prison when they found him. 

“No, it wasn’t like that. I fell in love with him on my trip and no, he doesn’t know who I am. I’ll probably never see him again.” My voice breaks and I start to cry, tears running down my face unchecked. “I just left him Tommy, with just a goodbye letter but no explanation as to why,” I say through tears.

“It will be ok. Look, how many times did grandma tell us the ‘let it go and if it comes back it’s yours’ thing when we were kids?”

“Well that butterfly is on the other side of the fucking world, has no clue who I really am, and I may have mentioned where I lived but if he remembers I don’t know, and I want him back.” I am quiet for a moment, “Um Tommy, if I don’t make it…” I stop not knowing how to go on or really what to even say. “I have some stuff on my computer. I’d like you to make sure…”

He visibly pales under his tan, “Don’t say it,” he stops me from talking. His lips are pursed, he’s upset but keeping himself under control the best he can. “Hey, before you left there was no hope, you know. God gave you an answer to prayer. Take it and just thank him for it. Never question Him just accept. Grandma taught us that too remember?” Tommy out of all of us it the most religious. 

“So, do you think my butterfly will come looking for me?” I say wistfully wiping at the corner of my eyes and looking away from him out at the roadway.

“If he does come here, I’m having a word with him about, um, well about that and my little sister.” He blushes and I laugh.

“Oh Tommy, he could teach y’all some stuff.” I say with a giggle and a lot of inuendo backing it.

“Nope, we are not going there.”

“He did!” And I just cackle as he cringes. “And the way he…” He runs off the shoulder of the highway and makes a quick correction to get back on the road. 

“La, la, la, la, I can’t hear you.” 

“Hum, want to know what is was like from a girl’s perspective?” It’s payback time for all the conversations I’ve endured while hanging out with the guys.

“No! Never!”

“He did this thing…” I stop because he almost wrecked us at that. I just lean back and smile. It’s a good day.

///\\\\\///\\\\\

Foster took me to a gay bar in Biloxi. Out of all the guys he is my best friend. He shared an apartment with me in college and we tell each other our secrets. He’s listened to me pine over ever crush I have ever had and knows all my crazy dreams. The guy has even bought me tampons on more than one occasion. It goes both ways; I was the first person he told when he had his first guy crush and came to terms with his sexuality. Foster is not in the closet per say, all the gang knows it, it’s just his parents that don’t know. It’s pathetic that he can’t scream it to the world and be out, loud, and proud but they are old school and not very forgiving. But one day he jokes that when he is sick of it all he will bring his latest partner over and give his dad a cardiac arrest. He just says he needs to find a guy that he loves enough to set the world on fire for, if he is going to burn the bridges with his dad he wants it to be worth it in the end.

We are sipping drinks at the bar well on our way to getting shit faced. Finley has dads motor yacht docked at the Grand Casino down the street so we can just get a cab and stumble our way on board to sleep it off. Hopefully, we will stay on dry land and not fall off the pier since the water here is poison. I’ve enough problems without my limbs falling off piece by piece. Seriously, it’s getting scary to live on the Gulf with all the bad microbes in the water that want to kill you, if only America knew.

An hour later we are on dad’s boat crafting our own versions of drinks. “This one is called a Redheaded Slut.” I say as I mix Jager into a mixture cranberry and peach. “I say we dedicate it to Dax and his new floozy.” 

“No, it’s not the correct color for Rita. She’s more of an orange red.” He looks at me when I whimper and start to tear up. 

“What is it?!” he almost shrieks at me, drunk and worried when I burst into tears.

“Ji-yong had red hair.” I blubber drunkenly and lay my head on the bar; the room is swimming. “Ji-yong had orange red hair and then it went black. All those tattoos.” I know I don’t make any sense to him. I hope we both don’t remember in the morning.

“Who the fuck is Ji-yong?” he drunkenly asks I hear him slur as I lay my head on the bar and slide into a stupor. 

///\\\\\///\\\\\

Finley and I are out on the water in his boat with the guys. If I live through this fiasco, I am going to get my own boat. I don’t want a sailboat though; they are just too much work. I think I want something fast and something I can be alone on the water with. Maybe the dragon boat from Hangover 2 but that is a little too much drug runner and I don’t want the marine police haunting every move I make. I’ve been looking at a Formula 290 Bowrider top of the line in red. It’s choice and I could sail into the sunset and not stop for anything if I wanted. Suicidal much? Nope, just depressed as hell, scared, and terrified for what is going to happen to me in the next day or so. I’m going to order it in candy apple red. Should I be sentimental and put a dragon on it?

I’m on the bow pulpit, it’s the metal cage like thing on the bow for the non-sailors, go watch Jaws and you will understand. I want to spread my arms and do a "Titanic, I’m flying Jack” moment, but it doesn’t work with the music Finley has blasting. Linkin Park’s ‘Waiting for the End to Come’ is blasting from the speakers polluting the pristine quiet of the Gulf. Oh, how ironic, I AM waiting for my end to come. The words are pulled directly from my heart. I feel a tear fall. The guys are working the rigging and my back is to them, so no one see the tears fall. I just need to be alone, me and the water. Blackout starts playing and I want to scream along with the music. I am so mad with the world. I want to push the anger backdown but just like the lyrics the anger is pouring out of me. 

I’m angry at the ballooning vein sitting in my head waiting to pop. I’m angry with the pitying looks I get from my family and friends. I’m angry at the fear I see in my mother’s eyes and the despair just on the surface before she hides it. I’m angry at the whispers as I pass in church and more pitting looks. I’m angry that I left Ji-yong in Seoul. I am angry that I can’t live and still be me. If I wake up and that is a big if, I may not be me. I want to live! Damn it all to hell I want to live, and I want Ji-yong! I told him to look for me when we are old and grey. Will I ever make it to be old and grey? I don’t want old and fucking grey I want now god damn it all to hell…. I just collapse in the pulpit in tears racking my body that just won’t stop. Strong arms lift me up and pull me into a firm chest. He lifts me up and takes me back towards the stern. It’s not Finley, must be Dax, they wear the same cologne. They come from all over the boat and I’m now in the center of a group hug. I think there are more of their tears than mine. Touching, in a warm and sensitive kind of way.

I was Gonna Die Young

**Click of a computer powering on and you see a room. The walls are the color of cream and there is a white bed with a pink comforter and a painting of flowers above the bed. A girl slides into the seat in front of the computer. Her face is heart shaped; she has pale skin with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes are green with long natural lashes and she has shoulder length blond hair. **

“Okay,” She says looking into the camera and trying to repress a physical shiver “Sorry a ghost walked over my grave a little early,” then taking a deep breath. “So here we go. These are the things you; Ridley Lane need to remember. When you are sitting here staring blankly at this computer, I want you to look and listen very, very carefully. These memories made you what you are today. Please, please, please remember me. Remember this life. It’s crazy but I don’t want to forget me.” Her eyes fill with tears but the grits her teeth and they don’t fall.

“My favorite memory is Ji-yong’s voice. I have my personal vids from my phone downloaded in my system but as I sit here, I’m looking at my phone where my originals are.” She holds up the phone to the cam and there is a young Asian male smiling at the screen, he waves and says ‘Ridley, put down the camera’. She watches the screen, seeing how his face animates when he talks and how expressive he is with his hands and those long thin tattooed fingers. Emotions flitter across her face as she watches the little clips on the cell phone. Hunger, love, desire, agony, and hurt. “I love his voice.” She speaks softly to nothing then looks up at the camera, “Now that I’m home I’ve researched him and who he really is but the Ji-yong I know has a soft voice, peaceful. I melt like butter with a whisper from him.” Her smile is wistful, and her eyes are seeing a different place and time than where she sits now. 

“Well let’s not get into that. That is between us, me and Ji-yong. Oh! I found out who he really was in the airport gift shop. How ironic, my summer romance was on the cover of a teen music magazine. I was shocked and bought everything they had on him and his band. You could say the trip home was informative. I know the stewardess thought I was either crazy or on drugs, crying then laughing, hiding in the bathroom trying to muffle the screaming. I think I was a little unhinged. If he only knew I thought he was a host from a host club or a mobster, he would laugh so hard.

“His music runs the gamut. Rap which to be honest, I still don’t appreciate. Very little of the genre does anything for me. So, Ji-yong if you see this, only yours baby. Well, yours and Seung-hyun, or should I call him T.O.P.? Well T.O.P.’s music is the exception to that.” I spent a week after I got back in bed every night watching everything YouTube and Instagram have on Kwon Ji-yong and Big Bang. I was so greedy for just a look. I just want to be back in Seoul near him.”

Her head lowers like she is too ashamed to look at the screen. “I’m pathetic really.” She looks back into the camera and rolls her eyes then looks away again. When she looks back her eyes are watery with unshed tears. “I hope he thinks of me.” Bursting into tears she reaches toward the camera and turns it off. 

“Well I’m back. I had a good cry, so all is better until the next morbid moment hits me. Ok, next thing I don’t want to forget. How much I like the water. I love living on the Gulf. I love sailing on the gulf and in the bay. I love listing to the waves lap at the shore. The fog in the morning, how it clings to the water and the shore, and how it swirls like a living entity when disturbed. I love the feeling of rain on my skin. I love the sounds from a good thunderstorm, that canned artificial thunderstorm you get from sound machines just isn’t the same. I love staying at the gulf in winter. I like that it’s deserted except for the locals and you have all that sand to yourself to walk on in peace. I like poking around on shore looking for sand dollars and the small butterfly shells. Humidity, I love the liquid air of the South, sans the heat of course. It’s what keeps southern girls looking young. Not as young as the Korean girls but enough. God I just love the Coast.” 

“Well this is random, but hey look at the situation. I have pictures and bio’s next of other important people. I’m not doing mom and dad because they will be sitting beside me when I wake up. I want to make sure I remember my brother and the Bay gang. I’ve got pictures for reference!” she says grinning at the screen and holds up a five by seven picture of five guys sitting together on the dock. Pointing to one she says, “This is your brother Finley. I know it’s a weird name, but weird names run in the family. Deal with it Sweets. Sid, Dax, Foster, and Tommy,” she points to each as she names them off. These guys are my honorary brothers. “

“The following things are probably silly but here goes. These are the best things to remember. I loved Karaoke games with my brother and his friends as a child and our evolved adult version of the game. See the pics and videos in the saved file. I really want to remember Ji-yong and the guys and our karaoke day. Again, go watch the video I made of that night. I enjoyed trying new foods with Ji-yong. See the saved pictures. Eating noodles with chopsticks for the first time was a riot and against all I learned from Grandmother and her etiquette lessons as a child. She would flip with all that noisy slurping, but I loved it. I wish I had that on tape. But you know I can’t eat ramen now with a fork. I must have my chopsticks. So, don’t forget slurping noodles!” She giggles looks away from the camera her eyes into the past. 

“The following are places I loved and need to remember. London of course since it was my first haven after my big run. The sound of Big Ben’s ring and driving around the Cotswold’s in a rented mini will be forever cherished, that is if they don’t get erased. I met a sweet old English gentleman with a heavy accent that looked like great grandpa Rufus and I spent an hour talking to him at a roadside service. The food! I loved, loved, loved the food. Especially sausage rolls, bacon butties, and pork pies. Nothing beats a proper English tea with scones. I liked Lady Gray Tea or Earl Grey with a touch of lavender. Oh, oh, lest not I forget the taste of blood pudding and huge English breakfast’s in the morning with fresh pressed coffee. My mouth is watering now. I went crazy in Harrods food court and bought anything that looked weird and interesting and then spent the afternoon taking bites out of everything in the odd assortment. It was horrible that I wasted food in that way, but the pigeons and I had a feast in the park.” 

A faraway look crosses her face and she said “Seoul South Korea, I never want to forget Seoul South Korea. The sea of dark hair and eyes on the streets, the fashion, the hair colors on the kids, the beauty products, the spas, all the face masks. And never do I want to forget that I met one very unnatural redhead who caught my attention and heart. Meeting a tall cookie monster with angry bushy eyebrows and the sexiest of voices was also quite memorable.” A naughty smile graces her lips and she said, “My mother would flip with fury if I told her that I slept with two guys on the first day I met them.” She laughs bitterly, “Now if I don’t make it mom will think I was a tramp so let me clarify, no sex happened. Mom, I awoke from a dead sleep, my clothes were on thank you, in a stranger’s arms on a cabana bed in the cold air of morning staring into the most beautiful brown eyes. I blame it all on lack of sleep and wine, lots, and lots of wine thanks to Cookie Monster who has fondness for the stuff. I can almost taste the soju and hear to Dae sing Baby Don’t Cry when I didn’t know they were K-pop stars. By the way that is my new theme song. I don’t want them to cry; oh, shit here I go again.” She reaches up and the camera clicks off again.

The camera clicks back on to Ridley now in her night clothes and she has dimmed lights. “Okay here I go again. I cherish the image of mom and her pearls and the smell of Chanel Gardenia on her skin when you hug her. I had a blast introducing mom to sushi. She stabbed her food with the chopsticks when she got frustrated and I wouldn’t let her order a fork. Dad, well I love the dad and daughter sailing days or going dove hunting with dad. We have the best talks on the back porch. I’m sorry I dropped out of school dad I know you wanted me to one day work at the firm, but it was pointless with the situation you know. My brother Finley, well he comes with a group, and all our best memories are as a group. So, hmm, playing drinking games with Finley and the boys which sometimes included my favorite blue Jell-O shots. Overindulging on Margaritas on the pier and crawling home because we couldn’t stand up. The guys making me drink Jaeger bombs and playing truth and dare drunk off our asses. I always got the most embarrassing things to do. Funny but I never had a real juicy truth to pass on till I got back from Korea.”

“I will now confess that I drive over to Fort Morgan by myself to watch thunderstorms out at sea, I know it is dangerous in so many ways, but it gives me a private moment between me and God. I beg him to let me live, I do a lot of begging. I like it when the guys and I made two am beach runs for the hell of it to swim in chilly black water while daring Jaws to get us. We were, void that, are idiots, go figure. Thank God jaws never took us up on our dares. Hmm, all of us getting kicked off Orange beach surfing because of an incoming hurricane, again because we are idiots and young and simply thought nothing bad could ever happen to us. This is random but I love chasing tree frogs on the porch. Alabama football games with the guys. I kind of liked being forced to go shopping with mom and the aunts in Atlanta and New Orleans for each new season. Heck any excuse for black chicory coffee and beignets while watching the Mississippi river roll by is a good one. 

“I loved vacations with the family as a kid. Visiting Europe, skiing, Dad’s crazy urge to show us all our state parks. Dad loves history and every vacation was a learning experience along with fun. I also loved vacations with just me and the guys. I loved going to Mexico with my brother and the Bay Crew. I really loved cabana beds poolside and hammocks on the beach. Big Big Big Margaritas. Tequila tasting and handsome Mexican tour guides,” She is ticking off things to remember on her fingers and laughing into the camera. Her eyes brighten as she remembers a very good memory. “Making loaded brownies with the boys and then raiding Checkers, McDonalds, Burger King and every fast food joint we could get to with the munchies.” She giggles and rolls her eyes, “the memory of my very drunk brother declaring his love for Betty B’s Fake Bazookas round the bonfire at church camp on a dare. Dancing a naughty tango trio with Foster and Dax at the Mardi Gras ball and scandalizing the hell out of Grandmother and her uptight friends. I swear that we practiced that for a solid month, and I won fifty bucks for going through the dance from Finley”. 

“Ok let me list some dislikes: all bugs, heights, migraine headaches, asshole doctors with a god complex, hangovers, dizzy spells. Rip tides and red tides. Um… Jellyfish from hell stinging me as I walk on the beach. I detest the smell of stinky rotting seaweed and dead fish after an alga kill, icky just cannot describe it. Swimming in the bay and its nasty unsafe water. Spiders never forget your hatred for those fuckers. And lastly flying, I really don’t like it and especially flying to other counties without sleeping pills to knock me out. 

“I have made a few goals for after surgery. First, I’m going to build a house on the property out by the old pier me and the guys like to hang out on. I have the plan saved in this computer, so Ridley when you get up and ready, go build the thing. Name it Chatelaine Cottage since you are the next lady in line for the family business.

“Second, I want a boat and you are going to go buy it. It’s got to be fast and I want it in red. I have a few models saved on the computer for shopping purposes. Just make sure it has a head, so you don’t have to pee over the side or in a bucket. That is important. 

“Last thing, I’m going to go back and finish my degree and join the family business. Between me and Findley, I want us running the show. One day he will be in command and I will enforce. A girl can dream. Oh, even better, I go hunt down Ji-yong and create an Asian branch. If… oh well…

“I’m going to call this quits now. Surgery is tomorrow. Mom, you will see this first if I don’t make it. My will is with the firm. The note beside my computer is for Kwon Ji-yong, find it and have a representative from the firm get it to him with the items specified please. So, I hope I will see me again. Live bitch.” She looks deep into the camera, nods, and then leans forward one final time and clicks the camera off.”

///\\\\\\\////

Sandra Lane closed the computer sitting on her daughter’s desk. ‘Well, the things you don’t know about your own children,” she said out loud to the empty room. Just who was Kwon Ji-yong? She picked up her cell, “Atwood, yes thank you she is still in a coma. I have a name for you to run. Kwon Ji-yong, South Korean, is a member of a band of some sort. Yes, a band. Big Bang. I want it to the microscopic level. Thanks, get back to me as soon as possible please. Oh, and this is just between the two of us. Thank you.” 

Sandra stood looking at her daughter’s room. It was just so empty with out that vibrant soul in it. She shut her eyes for a moment to add just one more prayer to the myriad of others she had made in the last six months since the diagnosis and then turned and walked from the room.


	3. I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been bad. Skipping work reports to write fanfiction. So if I made a goof forgive me.

Chapter 3 Fairhope, Alabama, USA April 2020 

I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)

Kwon Ji-yong nervously approached the door and rang the bell once then stepped back respectively. Looking around he observed his surroundings with an awe that he had remembered on another face two years ago. The area he was in was the lush and green deep coastal south of the United States. Ji-yong had landed at an airport on the outskirts of the city of Mobile on the southern coast of Alabama. He had stayed in the city overnight then the next morning met with a driver to deliver him across the bay. He was here to find a girl he had only know for a month two years ago. Ji-yong knew it was crazy to want to see her again after more than two years had passed but her memory had helped sustained him during his time in service. He had promised himself after reading the note she had left on her pillow that he would find her again one day. She had joked that it would be when they ‘were old and gray and widowed’ but he didn’t want to wait. He had to see her just to find out if she was okay and had buried the demons from whatever scandal was that had made her run from her home so long ago. And more important, he needed to see if there was anything between them still. 

Ridley Lane’s family home was a sprawling southern plantation located on Mobile bay. Oak trees draped heavy limbs over the drive and dripped with Spanish moss, giving him the feeling of going through a green tunnel. As he drove through a security gate and up the long winding drive, he could see glimpses of a long pier behind the house. 

Getting out when the driver opened his door and glancing around, he looked toward the deep porch awaiting him with its wide wooden plank floors and the ceiling painted blue. The color Ridley had told him was and old wives’ tale that was supposed to ward off evil spirits. White wicker chairs and a hanging swing welcomed visitors off to the side with various pots containing a wide assortment of blooming flowers scattered about. The door was soon answered by an elderly woman in a black work dress. She looked at him eyes widening in surprise. He thought to himself that they must not get many foreigners around this area. 

“Good afternoon. I am looking for Ridley Lane. Can you tell her I am here?” He asked in slow and careful English and became instantly concerned at the look that crossed her face. 

“May I ask your name sir?” she asked in a quiet southern drawl. “Kwon Ji-yong” he replied. He did his best not to seem impatient and rude, but he had journeyed far and just wanted to see the girl who had left him so abruptly two years ago with a letter and a trace of perfume on the sheets.

“Come in, come in.” she motioned him forward and led him toward a room off to the left of the entrance. “Let me sit you in the study while I go get Miss Sandra for you.” She led him toward the room and motioned for him to have a seat and disappeared. 

The room was a mix mash of Chinoiserie antiques mixed with southern style. He sat in an overstuffed loveseat printed with fat cream cabbage roses on a rusty red background and looked around room. An antique camphor wood chest sat as a coffee table. It held coffee table books of different Asian countries. Over a mantle there was a large picture of magnolias painted on cloth that looked very old. A small red urn with a dragon etched in black was set to the left and opposite it on the other side were two porcelain dolls dressed in Korean dress. He smiled at a memory and gave a quiet chuckle. She must still remember their day touring the palace fondly to have dolls recreated with the costumes that they had worn that day.

Just then a woman cleared her throat. He looked away from the mantle and toward the entrance. A woman stood there in a pale blue shift dress and matching heels. Pearls graced her long neck and dainty ears. Her hair was a dark shoulder length blond and she looked similar Ridley just a little taller with the same heart shaped face and small bone structure. He assumed she could be in her mid-fifty’s. She studied him with green eyes and a small wistful smile quirked the corner of her mouth. He stood quickly and bowed to her in respect. 

“You have to be her dragon,” Were her first words to him. His eyes widened for a moment with the strange greeting from the woman. But he had concluded long ago that Americans didn’t hold their thoughts well, Ridley had taught him that. The instant she thought it she said it. He remembered with amusement the look of his blue haired bandmate Seung-hyun when instead of a polite greeting she had blurted out that she thought she was meeting a Korean cookie monster. Hyun’s distressed look and angry eyebrows had Ridley giving them a giggling explanation of a children’s television show called Sesame Street and a blue monster that consumed great quantities of cookies. To this day to get a playful dig at Seung-hyun he would lean in and call him Cookie. 

“Her dragon?” he raised an eyebrow at that. She had never known who he was; he had kept his public life from her, selfishly wanting her to know him for him and not the stage persona. She never asked why he kept her secluded from his other life; she had been innocent and naïve and respected his privacy. He had never even brought her into his home. If something awkward came up they had both ignored it. She would have been so easy to play if that had been his intention, which at the start was just his intention. But so much had changed in such a short time.

The woman walked to the couch and sat smoothing down her skirt as she did. He sat down as well and waited for her to speak. She looked toward the hovering maid and nodded to her. Looking back toward Ji-yong she said, “Paula will bring us some tea in a moment if that is fine with you?” He nodded his agreement. “My name is Sandra, I’m Ridley’s mother. It’s so nice to meet the young man my daughter regarded so fondly” 

“Regarded? Is Ridley alright?” His heartbeat increased thinking something had happened to Ridley.

“Mr. Kwon something did happen to Ridley, but she is fine now, in a way.” This just made his heartbeat increase and he felt the beginning of a panic attack. “Do you know the reason she was in South Korea?” She asked, her head tilted observing him closely.

“No, no she said she had just run away but would never go into the details.” He needed some answers before his fast beating heart tore out of his chest. “I assumed a scandal of some sort, but I gave her privacy.”

“Yes, you didn’t want her to know any of your secrets, either didn’t you?” His heart just stopped. Her smile was mischievous.

“My secrets? Ah...” He stuttered and she grinned.

“Mr. Kwon Ji-yong, goes by the name G-Dragon, K-pop’s bad boy, thirty-one years old. I can go on if you like.” Oh boy he was about to get the boot out the door with a warning to never to be seen on her doorstep again. 

“Ah no mam.” He made a move to stand. She shook her head and motioned for him to stay seated. He collapsed back into the chair. 

“I know of you Mr. Kwon; I have excellent people in my family’s company that can dig up dirt on anyone if I desire. I know everything from your net worth to your choice of tea or even your alcoholic drink of choice—and other things,” She gave a small smile and let the sentence drop. He seriously thought of bolting toward the door. “You can take a breath Mr. Kwon, or can I call you Ji-yong?”

He swallowed heavily, “Ji-yong if fine, mam.” This woman could give a Yakuza boss a run for his money. She was all lady like grace over something extremely sharp and blood thirsty.

“Good now we have the pleasantries out of the way please call me Sandra.” She smiled brightly at him. Pleasantries? He felt like he had been strip searched and the inquisitors refused to give him his clothing back. A noise from the door alerted them of the maids return. She carried a tray with a tall pitcher of iced tea. There was small bowl with lemon slices and another of cookies. Two tall glasses full of ice finished off the tray. She laid it carefully down on the chest and asked if that would be all. She only received a small shake of Sandra’s head, so she nodded back and left the room quietly shutting the doors as she withdrew. 

Sandra poured both glasses and offered him one. “Lemon?” He shook his head and took the glass. She then put two cookies on a small plate and placed it on the chest in front of him with a smile. Serving herself next she placed her plate in front of her on the chest and then took a small sip of her tea. He did the same, it was so sweet almost like syrup. He quickly placed it down on the table. She chuckled, “Our way of drinking tea down here puts some off. We like it ice cold and overly sweet. Would you like for me to call for something different?”

“No, this is fine. Can we please get back to Ridley? Is she okay?” He hadn’t meant to be abrupt but since he hadn’t been shown to the door, he wanted to know what had happened to Ridley.

She smiled in understanding and started, “Again, this goes back to why Ridley was in South Korea. She had been diagnosed with an un-ruptured brain aneurism. She was told it could go at any minute. At that time, no surgeon here in the States would touch her.” As she spoke Sandra watched his face pale. “So, after she was diagnosed, she lasted a month at home. I don’t blame her really, we all were mourning her like she had already passed, prayers at church, oh it ran the gauntlet. She was terrified and then she just got angry. She didn’t want anyone’s pity and she didn’t want to die in front of us. One morning I went in her room and she wasn’t there just a note on the bed.”

“She told me she went to London, Tokyo, then South Korea.” He said quietly. “She never said anything other than that she was looking for relaxation, beauty, and the cure…a cure. Oh damn.” He fell back against the couch, boneless, with no strength with just the thought that she could have died at any moment and he would have never even known about it. He could have come here only to find a family in mourning.

“Yes, that was her first stop. She went there and looked for answers. Then she went to Tokyo and met a young American neurosurgeon studying there who told her to go to South Korea. She met with many doctors in Seoul and found an up and coming young surgeon by the name of Kim Su-jin. She was researching a new deep operating procedure and they were ready for human trials. Ridley and she bonded. “ 

“So, she is better now?” he asked anxiously. He is glad that she is better, but his heart still feels like it will burst from his chest with the thought of the danger Ridley had been in. Just the thought of the times that they had horse played, chasing her up the stairs at her apartment. The times that he had surprised or startled her and the thought of something that was like a fragile bubble in her brain that could have burst, could have killed her instantly and it would have been his fault. He feels nauseous.

“Yes somewhat. You see there were certain things that we were made aware of before the surgery that could happen. First it was fifty-fifty that she would survive the surgery, but she made it through fine. The downside is that there were some issues. I was told that she would experience things just like someone with a traumatic brain injury. She could have loss of memory, which she did. She used to be more on the math’s side of the spectrum now she has swung more toward the artistic side. Her personality is a little different, there are days when she is depressed and angry.”

“Does she remember me?” he asked in a whisper. 

“No, I’m sorry she lost about six months of her memories as far as we can tell. But she does know of you. You see she was prepared for not coming back and if she lived not knowing anything. She had a diary, computer files and videos prepared and ready to go. There were some of you. In fact, Ji-yong there was a lot about you,” She had wanted to remember him! That meant she thought his memory was important. He was important to her! He glanced up as Sandra stood and walked to the mantle. She took the dragon urn and opened it and pulled out a small thumb drive. Walking back, she sat down and looked at him, very serious. “I want something from you Ji-yong, I want my daughter back.”

“Mam, I don’t understand.” He was clueless. Ridley was alive. What did she mean?

“Ridley came home because of you Ji-yong. You made her want to live. You gave her hope for a future. I want you to take this copy of her files and I want you to bring that girl back to me. She is physically here now but she just exists. She works and plays but she is missing something, a piece of her, and I think that is why she gets so angry and depressed. It is you; I know that in my heart, that she is missing. You are the piece of her that she’s missing. So, I want you to bring my daughter back to life.”

“Ah…I don’t know. I came here to see if there was still something. I expected her to have moved on from us, I thought I would find her married.”

“I doubt that Ji-yong.” She gave him a patronizing smirk, “I doubt that you just came around the world for a glimpse? I think you came all this way to claim something you wanted. Do it then. Seduce my daughter back to life if you have to but I want that happy girl back.”

That had to be the strangest thing a mother had ever said to him. Seduce. Her. Daughter. Most mothers were locking their daughters in their rooms to keep them from him and others were throwing them at his bank book. “Uh,” how the hell do you answer that kind of request? Okay, I’ll get rite to it?

“Do you know she had you in her will? I had never heard of you until I picked up that document. Had she died you would have become quite the wealthy young man. Well, let me admin that, you would have added a considerable amount to the wealth you have already accumulated,” She was all business now. “She was in a coma for over a week, and I found everything she had made in preparation for her not making it through the surgery. In her will she left you half of her trust fund in thanks for being the time of her life. The basis for the large portion was that you had blessed her with a lifetime of joy in only a month. I was shocked, she never told us about you. Now, if a anyone leaves thirty million to someone that someone had to be special.”

“Um.” He was speechless, thirty million? If that was only half of her trust fund, just who was Ridley Lane?

“I read her diary.” Oh shit. “Oh, don’t look like you’re going to bolt. I remember being 21 and in college. What she does is her business. Although she is a bit of a prude when it comes to sex. Or was.” She laughed at the look on his face. “Kwon Ji-yong, you are going to be a joy to have around. I’ve read the dossier that my men prepared on you and you, my boy, are not a prude.”

He seriously wanted to leave, this was worse than a visit with his mom and her not so veiled hints of marriage and grandchildren. “Um, Mrs. Lane.”

“Sandra, I’m still young honey, and I intend for you to be around for quite some time. So, now that I have you nervous and squirming, where are you staying while you are here?”

“I’ve a suite at The Grand Hotel, nearby.” 

“No, that won’t do. Don’t get me wrong it’s a wonderful hotel but that isn’t going to help our project. No, you will be staying with Ridley in her cottage.” She stood and walked to the closed door, opening it a crack she whispered to someone, he assumed the maid, and then returned. “Paula will have someone get your bags and bring them over to the cottage. Ridley and the boys are out on the bay sailing today and should be in near dark. Let’s get you over there and get everything situated.” Looking at her watch she said, “Its only ten now, so you have time to freshen up a bit, maybe take a nap. I will have Cook bring you something over for lunch.” She got up and he followed her.

A while later they pulled up in front a two-story brick home about a quarter of a mile away from the main house. It was encircled by a well-kept lawn and dotted with old oaks and azaleas. It, like the main house had its back out onto the bay. It had a deep porch that ran across the front of the home with formal pots of green plants on the side of each of the two large transom windows looking out toward the drive. The front door was painted blue and had side light windows around the sides and top. The front steps were of the same brick as the façade. The pea gravel crunched under their feet as Sandra led him up the stairs and to the door. She never knocked nor unlocked the door, just opened the door, and walked on in. Seeing his look of surprise, she said, “The family compound is monitored so security knows if someone is on the property that doesn’t belong. Ridley always forgets to lock her doors during daylight hours no matter how many times we remind her to do so...” She left the sentence hanging. 

The entrance hall had pine plank walls painted a pale blue with crisp white trim. Dark wide plank hardwood floors were topped with deep cream rugs and a long narrow antique bench ran against one side wall. Sandra toed off her heels and he did the same with his shoes. Following her into a large open living room with on open kitchen space to the right he observed that the furniture was traditional pieces in a dark tan with blue accents. The fireplace was bricked to match the outside of the home with a large cream-colored mantle. Above it was a painting of a child building a sandcastle on a white sand beach. Sandra caught him looking at it. “That is Ridley when she was five. I took the picture and had a local artist paint it for me. When she built the cottage, I gave it to her for the mantle. The kitchen has anything you may want, and cook will bring you over a light lunch in an hour.”

“Thank you,” I replied still looking around the neat home. 

“Your bags are in the guest bedroom which is the first door to your left.” She nodded to my left and I turned to see a short hall with two doors, the left one open awaiting him. In between them was a staircase leading upstairs. The room she indicated had crisp white furniture. A white half poster queen size bed centered the room and had a dark navy duvet. The room was decorated in a nautical theme with another beach painting over the bed. This one looked to be from another artist. It was of a sailboat tacking in the wind. He glanced inside the room to find his luggage at the foot of the bed. In the living room Sandra stood waiting for me to return. “Relax a little, if you would like a swim the pool is outside, towels are kept in the locker on the patio. The kids will be back in between five and six. The sun won’t set here till around late seven. On days that they are sailing they will usually order in so dinner will probably be take out tonight.” She turned to leave and said, “Feel free to look around. Upstairs is Ridley’s office and a small gym, also she keeps the TV up there in the lounge. I suggest that you look over the thumb drive I gave you before she gets home and make sure she doesn’t see it please.” She smiled and nodded a goodbye. Minutes later the door closed, and he could hear her car leaving. 

“What to do?” he murmured to himself. Just who the hell was Ridley? Thirty million was only half of her trust fund? Who has money like that? He walked to his room and picked up his messenger bag. Placing it on the bed he opened it up to reveal an assortment of well used notebooks and a thin laptop. He pulled the laptop out and put it on the bed. “Shower first, then this.” He pulled the thumb drive out of his pocket and tossed it beside the laptop on the bed. He walked over the other suitcases and picked the one out with his more casual clothes in it. Choosing a comfortable pair of jeans and a new one of his T-shirts that his Peaceminusone design team gave him to test he threw them on the bed and then pulled out fresh underclothes and socks. 

He padded over to the door and shut it for privacy since someone was bringing him food in the next hour and he didn’t want to give anyone a show. He walked into the ensuite bath, it was nautical themed with crisp white cabinets, lots of chrome, and a white marble walk in shower. He opened the linin closet to discover a selection of soaps, shampoos, body gels, wash cloths, and huge fluffy towels. After smelling one or two of the shower gels he picked out a tea tree bodywash and shampoo that he liked and quickly undressed throwing his clothes in the hamper at the bottom of the closet. 

Later after drying off and redressing into his comfortable clothes he padded into the kitchen. A domed plate was sitting on the bar waiting on him. Opening it he found a sandwich, potato salad, and a couple of pickles. He walked to the fridge to see what Ridley had in drink options. The large fridge was well organized, that much he could say. The top had any dairy product you could want. There were various containers of yogurt, Almond milk along with a small container of whole milk, sour cream, and some other containers that he couldn’t identify. Not being in the mood for milk he looked at the next level. A two liter each of Coke and Ginger Ale, seltzer water, what looked like green tea in a carafe, another carafe held more the black tea he had at Ridleys’ mothers, and three bottles of wine. 

He pulled out the green tea and after a quick search for a glass poured himself a large glass. It was overly sweetened like the black tea he had tried earlier but drinkable. He sat at the bar and as he ate, he looked around. In Seoul where Ridley had stayed was a rental, someone else’s, this was all Ridley. He looked around the kitchen, with just a glance he could see she liked to cook. In one corner of the counter four well used cookbooks were propped up by various canisters. A set of Miyabi knives hung nearby on their magnetic holder. Nibbling on the last pickle on his plate he stood and put the plate in the sink. He opened cabinets glanced in at the contents. One cabinet was dedicated just to spices. He found a narrow door and opened it to find a large walk-in pantry. With the contents Ridley was prepared to feed a small army. Dry and canned goods were stacked four deep along one side. The other side was dedicated to every pot and pan or kitchen appliance you could dream of. He could see that she had a fondness for Le Creuset and Kitchen Aid. He assumed looking at all this he wouldn’t go hungry on this trip.

Looking at his watch he realized it was only one in the afternoon, quite a few more hours to go before Ridley made it home. He’d kill for a cigarette and seeing no ashtrays around decided to go outside for a quick smoke. He went back to his room and picked up his computer and the thumb drive along with a pack and lighter and headed outside to the patio. The pool area was simple not taking anything from the view of the bay behind it. He would have to spend a sunset here watching the sun go down behind the distant city across the bay. 

He distractedly opened the computer and logged on. When everything was ready, he inserted the thumb drive. Immediately Ridley’s face appeared on screen, she looked tired, scared, but resolute. That was his Ridley looking back at him and his hand went to the screen involuntarily tracing her face with a finger. Her voice brought a smile to his face until he concentrated on what she was saying. The first thing she wanted to remember was him! As he listened along his emotions were frayed at the thought of what she had faced. What would he have done if he had been told he could die at any moment? 

It was hard listening to her doubt him and what they had for that short period of time. Yes, she had started out for him as just a conquest, but he quickly changed his mind the longer he was with her. He had enjoyed their time together. He even enjoyed their silences. The day he spent with her, just holding her as she slept brought a smile to his face every time, he thought of it. And listening to her talk on the video he realized that she, like him, had cherished every moment they had had together. It touched his heart. 

He felt horrible that he had never told her who he was before she had run away from him and that the way she had found out had hurt her and made her doubt him. He fought back tears when she said she was pathetic. He felt hatred toward his GD persona for a moment for scaring her and making her doubt him. 

He was mortified when she said the part about sleeping with two guys after having just met them. Her mother had watched this! He palmed his face and inwardly cringed. What all had she put in that diary?! Knowing Ridley, it was quite detailed. He would never be able to face her mother again!

After watching the videos, she had filmed from her phone he closed the laptop. It was going on two, so that was five in the morning at home. He was tired, so he set his alarm to go off in an hour. Soon Ridley would be home. 

///\\\\\///\\\\\

He heard their laughter before he saw them. Sandra led him out the patio door and together they stood watching the five men finish up whatever they were doing on a large catamaran sailboat before they finished for the day. They laughed and joked about someone they called Imp. There was no sign of Ridley though, was she below deck? He looked toward Sandra who guessed what he wanted to know. “Oh no, she’s has her own boat, God help us, she will be along any minute now.” Just then he heard it in the distance, the sound of powerful outboard motors. Was she with someone? Just then coming fast from around the point was a long red speed boat, spraying water as it went. It flew past the men jostling the sailboat in its turbulent wake and had the men yelling and raising their fists at the rude boater. A woman stood at the helm, it was Ridley, he recognized her profile as she flew by. It passed and then cut a wide turn out in the bay only to drop the motor to low and cruise in slow on the opposite side of the dock. 

She threw a rope to one of the guys standing waiting on the dock who quickly tied it down and then gave her a hand up and out of the boat. She was wearing a long black sleeve ROKA X wetsuit covered by a pair of loose cargo pants that rode low on her hips, clinging to her curves. She had dive shoes on her feet that matched her wet suit. Her hair was up in a high ponytail that reached her mid back. Just looking at her from a distance he could tell that this wasn’t the same girl he met two years ago. This was a woman with confidence, aggressive and sure of herself.

She and the men joked as they walked up the long pier toward the house and their laughter carried to the patio where Sandra and he stood. 

When they got close enough one, who he assumed was Ridley’s brother Finley yelled, “Mom she got stopped by port police again!” 

“Don’t listen to him,” Ridley yelled back, “he was just asking for a date… again.” He could hear the amusement in her voice. 

He heard one of the other men say, “When will that dick give up?!” They must not like this port policeman and he didn’t like this unknown port policeman who was trying to edge in on his girl.

A red head elbowed his companion and said quite loud, “Mrs. S, she was teasing him! Don’t listen to her lies!” He began to run but Ridley sprinted faster. Kicking him in the back of the leg and making him stumble into the brunette guy in front of him to keep from falling. 

Riley defended herself, “He nearly crashed into the cruise ship! He should pay attention to his job and not me then.”

The blonde he assumed was her brother, Finley again joked, “Sis he’s just looking for an invitation to board your boat.”

“Fuck you Finley!” She hit at him and then noticed Ji-yong standing there. “Well hello…stranger.” She as well as the others looked curiously at him. It was Ridley but not his Ridley from two years ago. No, there was no recognition of him in her eyes, no love. Then she gasped, “Wow, you’re him, the guy from the videos.”

The guy from the videos? With that his heart stopped for a moment. G-Dragon, she’s seen him, this isn’t good.

Ridley looked embarrassed for a moment then explained to everyone. “The videos ‘she, um, I’ left before they scrambled my brain so I couldn’t remember my life. Kwon Ji-yong or GD, which do one do you want me to call you?” She asked looking toward him. Sandra and the others just watched silently. He didn’t know if the others knew of him or if her mother had filled them in. By their curious looks though he guessed that she hadn’t told any of them about him.

“I was always Ji-yong to you.” He said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. His heart broke a little with her look.

Sandra broke in, “Well, Ridley I’ve put Ji-yong’s things in your guest room. Why don’t you show him over there and ya’ll can get to know each other again?” Ridley looked as if she wanted to protest but was stopped as Sandra continued addressing the guys. “Boys, I’d like a word with you in my office before you scatter. Please?” It wasn’t a request and like five unruly teens the guys parted from Ridley and Ji-yong and entered the house in the direction of what he assumed was Sandra’s office. 

Sandra called to them from the door, “Ridley, you can take the upcoming week off while Ji-yong is here. I will inform your secretary to pass along any unnecessary business to your team and to only contact you if there is an emergency.” Ridley looked like she would protest but her mother never gave her a chance. “Now, get along you two,” and motioned them to leave. With that she turned and walked into the house and shut the patio door behind her.

Ji-yong and Ridley stood for a moment in awkward silence looking at each other till Ridley took a deep breath and said, “shall we?” He nodded and she led him silently toward a path leading to the side of the house where several cars and a jeep were parked haphazardly. She approached a Jeep and pulled open the side door. “Hop in,” was all she said as she then walked to the drivers’ side and got in. She never even looked behind her as she threw it in reverse coming an inch from backing into a BMW. With no concern she flipped it into drive and took off with a lurch. 

Not a word was spoken while she drove, he watched her covertly but other than a glance or two nothing was said. When they got to the cottage, she took a side route punching a button on the mirror to open the garage door. They pulled in next to a white Audi R8. “Yours also?” He asked admiring the car. 

“Yep.” She gave him an arrogant little smirk. “She’s fast and gives the boys whip lash.”

“Let me drive her?” He wasn’t sure he was just talking about the car.

“Maybe.” She looked him up and down and he knew she wasn’t talking about the car either. This wasn’t his Ridley, the Ridley he met is Korea had an innocent air about her. This girl was more worldly. He hoped there was some of his Ridley remaining somewhere in there.

“Let’s go in,” She said awkwardly, searching for something to cut the quiet. “What do you have in mind for dinner? Any likes or dislikes or allergies I need to be concerned with?”

“None.” He replied as she led him through a mudroom that held a washer and dryer. Hanging her keys on a hook by the door she then walked through a door that led into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and asked him if he was thirsty. “Water please.” He replied not wanting either of the syrupy concoctions.

“What time did you get in?” She asked making awkward small talk.

“Around nine last night and I was here around ten this morning. Your mom brought me over, I showered and napped a bit.” 

“Long flight time?” Looks like they were going to do minimalist conversation.

“Twelve hours to LA from Seoul then seven more hours to Mobile. I spent the night in the city and then this morning I hired a car to bring me here.”

“Did mom tell you everything?” Okay no beating around the bush the real conversation was going to start.

“Yes, I’m sorry, so sorry that you had to go through that.”

“Well it’s over and I’m a new girl now.” She smiled quick and sharp. He didn’t think she liked the new girl.

“You don’t remember anything? Us?”

“No, I just read about it all.” She turned her back to him and poured two glasses of tea. “I’m thinking either Sushi or Chicken? You want heavy or light?”

“Light preferably, you choose.”

“You are sure to be amused by this then,” She picked up her cell and speed dialed a number. “Hey Taishi!” She laughed at something the person on the other end of the line said. “Yes, I’ve been out on the Gulf and I’m starved.”

“Um hum, no just two but you never know when the rest will show up. Give me two miso soups, a ginza roll, ninja roll, dragon roll, cali roll, and a spicy crawfish roll. Also, please, please, please bring me some green tea ice cream.” She looked at him and he nodded, “Two of those also. Yes, it’s for two! Don’t be rude dude, I do not eat it all at once. Yes, I will see you in thirty. Thanks!” She hung up. 

He just looked at her for an explanation. 

“I like leftovers in the middle of the night so I always over order.” She said at his arched eyebrow. “I’m going to shower and change, give me fifteen okay?” And he was left standing in the kitchen. He went to his room and got one of his lyric notebooks and started to work while he waited.

Forty-five minutes later they were at her kitchen table. The ice cream had been quickly placed in the freezer for later and she had plated the rolls on a platter and placed them in the center of the table. She got two plates out and some chopsticks. “One moment,” she said before she sat and ran back to the fridge to get a pitcher of ice water. “I never can get enough to drink after a day on the water.”

He looked at her a moment, “You’ve changed,” he said studying her face while absently pulling two of each roll off the platter to put on his plate.

“Duh,” she mumbled and then looked embarrassed at her own rude comment as she mixed soy and wasabi in a small bowl. “Sorry,” she mumbled. She stopped and looked at him a moment and then bluntly asked, “Why are you here?”

“I came looking for a girl I met in a museum. I was fond of her.” He said with a wry smile. “I missed her.”

“You only knew her for a month.” Her eyes were wide, and she looked confused.

“I knew you Ridley,” He was sincere, and she didn’t look like she knew what to think. “I wanted more, and you just left me with a note on the pillow.” He said softly looking her in the eye.

He watched as she unthinkingly dipped the roll in the full-strength wasabi instead of the soy-wasabi combination. He opened his mouth to stop what was coming but she had already popped it into her mouth. 

The coughing and sputtering should have been filmed. When she finally stopped, her eyes were blood shot and watering and she looked so flustered. He started laughing and couldn’t stop. “Yah, not funny,” She threw a fortune cookie at him and he dodged it easily. It was almost like they were together again in Korea; he missed the camaraderie they had had then. They ended up eating together peacefully. With the ice broke they began to talk more naturally. He told her of sharing Korean food with her and the dishes she had liked. He could see she wanted desperately to remember.

“Is there a Korean restaurant in the area? We could go one day.” He asked. “We will order the whole menu again and you can try everything just like we did in Seoul.”

“I think there is one somewhere in Mobile. I will have to look it up for us. How long are you going to stay?” She asked curious. 

“I have a month before I have to be back in the studio. I had figured that if this didn’t go the way I saw it going then I could spend the remaining time I had in Paris.”

“So, what do you want?” She asked again and he looked her in the eye for a moment before he answered.

“You. I don’t mean to come off like a freak or stalker, but I missed you Ridley. I spent many a night in that bunk walking through every moment we had and wishing for and wanting more.” She looked at him quiet, contemplating what needed to be said.

“Sometimes I watch the video’s I made. She was happy. It’s hard for me though, I don’t remember. Do you understand, it’s so strange it’s like I was someone else? It’s like watching a movie with someone speaking in my voice and wearing my face.” Embarrassed she looked down at her food, chasing a stray clump of rice with her chopsticks.

“So, tell me what happened, after.” He asked quiet.

“I woke up thinking I had been in a car accident with mom and dad hovering over me.” She giggled at a memory. “I thought they were lying and didn’t believe them when they told me the truth. Until I asked for a mirror and saw my head wrapped in gauze.”

“I would have freaked out.” He said eyes wide with the thought of waking up in that situation.

“Oh, I did, I gave them hell. I had better warn you since you will be staying with me, I have nightmares, not often, but when I do, I get loud.”

“I will wake you, if you would like,” he grabbed her hand across from him and gave it a slight squeeze. His hand was warm and felt familiar and she looked at his sincere earnest face and thought that yes, this man could protect her from the demons that haunted her dreams.


	4. Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank Callasandra for this, I'm supposed to be neck deep in Excel spreadsheets and instead I'm hiding behind my screen giggling. Not good LOL Oh, I didn't have time to print it out and go over it with the red pen so forgive me for my mistakes.

Chapter 4 Fairhope, Alabama, USA April 2020 

Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off

Ji-yong slept late the next morning until the urge for the bathroom and a cigarette pulled him from the sheets around noon. He dressed quick in some sweatpants and a t-shirt, grabbing a pack and a lighter he slipped out to the patio for a quick one. Returning inside soft music pulled him toward the kitchen. A man with a rough voice was singing about how he and his girl weren’t getting out of this love alive and that his girl was a little bit trouble. Country music, Ridley, really?

Ridley looked up at him with a blank expression when he walked in and took a seat on one of the barstools across from her. “What are you doing?” he asked. She was drying off a large green bell pepper and it looked like she had been doing the same with celery and onions. She pulled out a cutting board from a drawer and walked to the magnetic knife rack and pulled down a paring knife and a chef’s knife and brought them back to the island where she had everything ready to go. She reached under the sink and pulled out a plastic bowl and placed it in front of her.

“At the moment I’m prepping for gumbo. Later this afternoon the guys are coming over for dinner.” She started with the celery slicing it into thin strips and then chopping the strips into uniform squares and then raked the cubes into the plastic bowl. Next, she diced the bell peppers. Lastly, she started on the onions. 

He propped his chin on his palm and asked, “Special occasion?” This was just small talk really, getting to know each other again. No matter how he just wanted to slide into where they were before he knew it was impossible. Time and that blasted operation had wiped away their closeness. A tear trickled down her cheek and she sniffled. The onions were taking effect.

“No, um, I make gumbo for them once a month and we make a night out of it. We will watch movies or play games till it’s late.” She made to wipe the tear off on her shoulder, but he popped up and quickly walked to the other side of the bar, pulling a sheet of drain paper from the dispenser as he went. She stopped cutting as he gently tilted her face up to his with one hand and wiped away her tears with the coarse paper folded neatly in his hand.

They stared into each ‘s eyes for a moment before she sniffled once more and broke the spell. He dabbed gently at her nose and then stepped back with a sweet grin. Instead of going back to his barstool he propped his hip against the bar and continued to watch and occasionally ask her a question. 

“No, this kind of started after Nana, mom’s mom, died. She used to have the whole family over for dinner on Sundays after church. Her specialty was gumbo. When I was small, she would pull up a barstool near the stove and perch me on it and teach me how to cook. Now it’s my turn to carry on the tradition,” she continued with her tale. Finishing up the onions and raking them into the bowl she took the folded piece of paper from the bar and dabbed at her eyes once more. 

“Do your parents come to this gathering or is it just you and your brothers’ friends?”

“Mom and Dad host Sunday dinner three times a month and then I host the last weekend to give mom and dad a break. They need to take a break from us kids even if we are grown up and not so bothersome anymore.” She wagged her eyebrows and grinned at him and he caught the meaning that mom and dad had an agenda that did not include family time on those single Sundays once a month.

‘So, tell me about gumbo. That’s a New Orleans thing correct?”

“No, not just New Orleans. They made it famous on cooking shows, but it was a staple down here, the shrimpers and oystermen would take what they didn’t sell and bring it home to their families, gumbo just made a little go a long way.” 

“What do you drink with it?”

“With gumbo I serve beer for the guys if they like. Delaney and I usually just have sweet tea. I do have a Riesling that will go with gumbo if you prefer.”

“Beer when we eat will be fine.” 

She laughed softly, looking up at him shyly and said, “Good choice.” But then opened the wine cooler and pulled out the Riesling anyway. She poured them both a glass. “Nana always had a glass of wine while cooking. So, drink up, its tradition.” 

She tilted the glass back and sipped, he watched the movement in her neck as she swallowed. He was hungry for something other than food and the urge to kiss her where her neck met her collar had to almost be forcibly tapped down.

Laying the glass down she continued her story, “She was such a good cook, her people were from Biloxi”, she said and started collecting spices. 

He sat at the bar and watched her constant movement, fascinated. She prepped every ingredient putting them into different small bowls as she finished each. Telling him about each item as she put them in line. She pulled an airtight jar from the spice rack opened it and handed it to him. “Smell it.” He did, it smelled green and fresh and of something that he couldn’t describe. “It’s fele’, ground sassafras leaves. I make my own like Nana taught me. You use it as a thickener but sparingly. If you spill it and it gets wet, it’s like green slime. Just a pinch or two does the trick.” Lastly, she opened the fridge and pulled out a covered dish of peeled shrimp and a bowl of lump crab meat. 

She walked into the panty and walked out toting a large red Dutch oven. She next brought out a canister of flour and a container of cooking oil. “What I’m making now is a roux. Half oil half flour, you must get it the perfect color.” She explained as she set the pot on the oven and turned on the burner, “Each gumbo is a different color. Gran’s black oyster gumbo was the darkest and hardest to learn for me. I kept burning it. I still say nothing ever taste like she made it, but mom insist that I make the gumbo because I make it more like grandma did.” The whole time she talked she moved, constantly stirring the oil and flower mixture. When she deemed it the correct color, she added the chopped vegetables and stirred them as they sizzled. “The onions will stop the flour from browning further,” she mumbled absently continuing with her impromptu cooking lesson. 

When she had let that cook for a moment more, she added all spices and poured in a large container of chicken stock. Then covering the dish said, “Let’s let that simmer for a while. Now come be my Sous Chef.” She put a bowl in front of him. “We are going to make hush puppies to go with the gumbo. Now add what I give you to that bowl,” she quickly chopped more onions, green peppers and celery very fine handing the cutting board to him after each so he could rake the ingredients into the bowl. 

“What are hush puppies?” he asked. He picked up the cutting board and slid the last of the finely diced ingredients into the bowl as she got out more spices and a measuring spoon and told him how much of each. 

“Hmm, little balls of fried savory cornmeal. They got the name from hunters frying up dough to throw to the dogs to ‘hush’ them.” He quickly added each spice to the bowl of ingredients, he was enjoying their quiet camaraderie in the kitchen. He couldn’t cook to save his life but helping her in the kitchen seemed so domestic. He looked down at her as she eyed the ingredients she was measuring from memory. He hadn’t seen a recipe card anywhere while she cooked. She had learned well from her grandmother. The music playing was crooning about your lips, my lips and apocalypse if he was translating it correctly. Her lips would be an apocalypse, he thought for a kiss at that moment he would face the apocalypse. 

///\\\\\///\\\\\

Ji-yong sat at the bar waiting for Ridley to get out of the shower scribbling lyrics in his notebook. He was coming up with some good stuff, this trip was turning out to be beneficial already for his creativity. 

The guys were scheduled to arrive at any time, and he wanted her to be a buffer between them. This promised to be awkward at best. 

He heard a car pull up and the noise of four doors slamming. He could hear people at the door then the front door opened without a knock and five guys poured through the door. He remembered her descriptions of them from their time in Korea. Finley her brother was tall and blonde. He was slim and Ji-yong could see a little of their mother in his facial features, but he assumed he favored the father with his height and broad shoulders.

“Hi, I’m Finley, Ridley’s brother.” He came forward and held out his hand for Ji-yong to shake. His grasp was firm and brisk. “We are early, sorry. But we wanted to talk to you without her here. Oh, let me first do a quick intro to each of these guys with me.”

“Sounds good,” He said but inwardly wondered what was going on.

“First, let me say before Ridley gets here, we are on your side. Mom vetted you so if she gives the go ahead you are okay.” Finley said.

The guy standing behind him and to the side piped up, “And Momma S said she would make our lives hell if we didn’t help get y’all back together. I’m Dax Wentworth by the way.” Finley gave him a look over his shoulder that said shut up and let him handle it. 

“Sorry, this is Dax. He can be a bit loud at times and oh, this is very important. If you have a sister never introduce her to him.” Dax leaned forward past Finley and shook hands with Ji-yong.

“Do you have a sister?” He asked interested.

“Married.”

“Um, too bad.” He laughed and walked by to plop himself on the couch and kick his feet up on the coffee table. Ji-yong thought he had to be an American version of Seungri.

Finley just rolled his eyes and motioned to the next man standing next to him, “This fellow is Sid Gambino.” The fellow didn’t say a thing, he just nodded and moved around Finley to shake his hand. Sid had dark olive skin with a head of dark hair and brown eyes. He was as tall if not taller than Finley. Ji-yong noted that he was the only one of the men wearing a wedding band.

“I guess you could say I’m the quiet one. And with that I’m just going to say treat her well and we won’t have any issues.” He said nodding to him once more then walked past him to place himself in an armchair opposite of Dax. 

“Hi I’m Tommy, Tommy Neal.” He shook his hand and looked toward Finley. Tommy was around five eleven with an athletic build.

“Tommy is our cousin and works mainly in finance.” Finley said.

“Numbers are hot.” Tommy said and Finley just shook his head.

“That’s not what you said last week when you started dating Sara Austell,” Dax called out from the couch behind them. Finley let out a sigh of aggravation.

“Don’t worry, I have four just like them at home,” Ji-yong said and laughed at the guys antics.

The last guy pushed Tommy out of the way, “Hi, I’m Foster. Please don’t judge me by these idiots.” He shook his hand and then pushed Tommy ahead of him toward the living room where they sat beside Dax on the sofa. 

Before sitting Tommy used one foot to kick Dax’s feet off the coffee table. “Company is here asshole, get your nasty feet off the furniture.” 

Ji-yong was left standing in the foyer with Finley. “Let’s have a quick convo before Ridley comes in and we all have to pretend there isn’t a big elephant in the room,” and he motioned for Ji-yong to proceed him into the living room. 

Finley walked into the kitchen and grabbed a chair from the table and brought it back in while Ji-yong took the remaining armchair. He inwardly strengthened himself for the grilling he suspected was coming by Ridley’s brother and friends. 

“So, you’re what got Ridley to come home?” Finley asked, “She never said a word, she came home excited at finding an answer, but she was always sad too.”

“She mentioned him to me once.” All eyes went to Tommy.

“What the hell man, why didn’t you say anything?” Sid asked.

“She said not to, and I respected her wishes. What she said was a slip up, she didn’t go into detail anyway.” Tommy looked over at Ji-yong and arched a brow. Uh oh, he thought, he wondered how detailed she was in her description of him that he wasn’t sharing with the others.

“She slipped up with me one night too.” Foster said. “She was drunk and crying about some guy with red hair.” That had the guys sending glares at Foster and then over to Ji-yong.

“Hey, she left me guys. If I had had my way, she never would have left Korea.” They all stopped at that.

“Wow.” Finley looked at him. “Looks like we are going to lose her any way.” He said then sighed.

“Planes, trains, and automobiles dude.” Said Dax. “Worlds pretty small and we have phones. We just want her happy remember.” 

The door to Ridley’s room opened and she walked out fresh from her shower, dressed in a faded pair of jeans and a over large t-shirt that hit above her knees. She was startled to see the guys here and she looked at them for any trouble she may have missed.

“Everyone behaving themselves?” She asked warily and everyone looked at her innocent. Then looking toward her brother she asked, “Did you make proper introductions?”

“Of course, sis, I wasn’t raised by wolves.” He said and grinned. “We were about to spill all your naughty secrets, but you had to come out. Ji-yong was eager to hear about your nick names.”

“Nic names?” Ji-yong asked with a grin.

“Oh yes, she has a few. My favorite is Streak.” Dax said with a laugh.

“Sand island.” Was all Ridley said and Dax blushed bright red and shut his mouth so fast the click of his teeth hitting together was audible. Finley cleared his throat and he was blushing too.

“We call her Dragon too.” Foster said. “But when we do you might want to run.”

“Fez’s.” He hushed just as fast as Dax did with one word.

“Imp.” That was from Tommy.

Ridley grinned menacingly, “Tommy was here.”

“You didn’t!” He replied with an anxious tone and his face lost all color.

“Okay, now that had better be explained quick.” Finley said to them both. Tommy had a look of panic on his face but then he thought for a moment and gave a wicked laugh.

“Oh, but Ridley, see I do remember that conversation unlike you who just read your diary. And I remember that it should read, ‘Ji-yong was here’?” Every eye turned to Ridley. Ji-yong thought that sounded like a tattoo, did Ridley have a tattoo with his name on her somewhere?

“Oh no hoisted on my own petard. You caught me; I was bluffing.” Ridley giggled and you could tell she wanted the subject changed. Anyone hungry?” She started toward the kitchen.

Dax who was always up for creating an embarrassing situation had to ask though, “Where would you put it? Do you have it on your ass or somewhere hidden? We would have seen it if it were on a tit.”

She growled then it was like calming water flowed down her skin, she blinked slow smiled then leaned forward with her hands on the table and her face close to Dax and she whispered coldly, “Dax I will kick your ass out the door and across my yard if you don’t shut that pie hole. Or would you like to explain to everyone how you were about to take it up the ass to get off Sand Island?

Ji-yong who was standing beside Finley was almost in shock at what she said and difference in the sweet funny Ridley he knew. Finley just shook his head and said quietly to him. “And that is Dragon, get on her bad side and you will be in a firestorm.”

Just as fast she switched again to cheerful Ridley. “Now! We are going to sit down and have a nice meal. Ji-yong and I worked hard today preparing it and you will be good boys and eat it.” The growl almost made another appearance. She took a calming breath and then plastered a smile on her face, “Ji-yong I’m so sorry you had to see that. I will try not to lose my temper again.” He just nodded.

“Y’all take a seat while I get the meal to the table.” She walked toward the stove for the large dutch oven containing the gumbo.

Afterward they lounged overfull and lazy around the pool with drinks discussing mundane things like sports and movies. Ridley reclined on a chaise lounge with her brother on one side of her on another lounger and Ji-yong on her other. Dax was draped across a large pool float that he had found somewhere. The other three had pulled chairs from the patio table into the group. The guys were nursing a beer each and Ridley had pulled the bottle of Riesling from the fridge. She was starting to argue with Finley about some Asian deal in the works when he flat out told her she was suspended so no work-related talk. Since there was only a little left in the bottle, she was more than a little drunk. 

“Game time guys, she’s loaded.” Dax shouted drunkenly. Ji-yong had only nursed a couple of beers and with his tolerance it would take a lot more for him to even get playfully stupid. The others had been going steady on the beer since dinner. Compared to his friends in Seoul, these guys were light weights. 

“Oh no, you always pull this shit when I’m tipsy.” Ridley said from beside him. She had forgotten her glass and was sipping directly from the bottle. “Let’s bake some brownies.”

“NO!”, they all yelled. Oh, he remembered her story about brownies from their date with the group at the Noraebang. Not a good idea. 

“Truth or dare time.” This came from Tommy who was starting to slide down in his chair. He started giggling to himself and everyone just stopped to watch him for a moment. 

Foster stood up and crossed over to where Ridley was lounging and pushing her forward and slid in beside her. Pulling her into his arms he covertly took the bottle from her and handed it to Ji-yong, she lay her head on his shoulder. Ji-yong took it from him and sat it on the other side of him where Ridley wouldn’t see it unless she went hunting for it. Foster looked at Ji-yong and must have seen something in the way he was looking at him and said, “No worries,” the redhead said, “I’d go after you any day, but girls don’t do it for me.” He said and winked at him. Ji-yong didn’t like anyone else holding her but if Foster batted for the other team, he guessed it was okay. 

“No, it’s okay, just getting jealous for a second.” He replied quietly. 

“Ji-yong first!” the one yelling this time was Tommy. “Ji-yong, pick a person and ask a question.”

“Foster,” he said looking at the man beside him holding a snoozing Ridley, “What did she mean by Fezzes?”

“I have a red Fez tattooed on my butt thanks to a bet I made with Ridley.” The guys laughed and the noise woke Ridley. “It was a Doctor Who bet, the eleventh doctor loved fezzes, he was my crush.” 

Ridley looked groggily around, clueless. “Waz up, down, bugger I’m tired. Ji-yong, what you doin over there?” They laughed some more when she pulled her way out of Fosters arms and moved to chaise that held Ji-yong and curled up in his lap with her head on his shoulder. 

He just held her speechless as the others watched with smiles. Then Foster said, “My turn.” He looked at Ridley and then at Ji-yong and asked, “So, did you have sex with our sister?”

“Oh, um, yes. But she left me before I woke up.”

“That bad huh?” Dax chimed in with a snort.

“Fuck you Dax.” Ridley mummers from Ji-yongs shoulder. Then pulled her head off his shoulder and said loud enough for everyone to hear, “Ask me about Sand Island honey if you want a little payback.”

He looked at Dax and laughed. Dax started to shake his head guessing what was coming. “Ridley, how did you get the nickname Streak?”

“Give me a couple of shots of tequila and I’ll show you.”

“No!” everyone but Ji-yong yelled. He filed that away for later use.

Ridley giggled, “Oops.” The put her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes. “Um, you smell good.” She said and nuzzled his shoulder. 

“Ridley wake up it’s your turn.” Ji-yong nudged her.

“Dax,” she started.

“Dare, dare, dare. I’m not risking anything you ask.” He said drunkenly and holding his hands out in front of him palms toward Ridley like he was going to try to drunkenly stop traffic.

“Oh, come on, Dax. I was just going to ask about your new bike.” Ji-yong wondered what was so risky about a bike.

“Tina is not a bike. Give me the dare.” Oh, that kind of bike.

“Okay, we’re drunk so no driving. Hmmm, no swimming in the bay, so that just leaves mom and dad.” She ginned a toothy drunken grin and said, “Go in the house and get me a pair of moms panties.” Everyone laughed. 

“You are a vicious bitch.” 

“I picked up a new wax kit last week, you can go wax your balls instead.” She asked and he immediately stood up and started walking towards the drive to the main house. 

“When I get back Ridley you are going to pay big time.” He yelled back over his shoulder at her disappearing around the side of the house.

“If we were sober and it wasn’t late on a weekend, I had plans to schedule him for a Brazilian wax. Maybe next time.” She giggled, “Well that is my cue to stagger to the bathroom, be back.” She extracted herself from Ji-yongs arms and walked toward her patio door. 

“You know she has something planned to get out of a truth.” Foster directed that to Finley. 

“Yep, give her five and then go get her.” He looked at Ji-yong, “So while we are at a standstill let’s talk.”

He swallowed hard, here comes the brotherly questions about his intentions.

“What do you want to know?” 

“So, you are a Korean rock star? How in the world did you meet Ridley?” he asked, but before Ji-yong could start talking he looked over at Foster, “better go get her.” Foster nodded and headed towards the house.

He had just finished explaining the museum to Finley, Sid, and Tommy when Dax came tearing back up the road sweating, disheveled, and breathing like a mad bull. “Fuck it, I’m sobering up and carrying a pair of mom’s underwear, get me something to drink.” And then he collapsed onto Ridley’s lounge chair. “I feel sick.” 

Just then the patio door slammed open and Foster emerged from the house carrying Ridley bridal style with her clutching something tight to her chest and giggling drunkenly. “You were right Finley; she had that bottle of Clase Azul upturned and was swigging it when I walked in. I thought she would go to the bathroom first, but she tricked me.”

She held out a long narrow bottle in one hand. It was clear glass but had a sapphire blue base and contained a clear liquid. “Hey Dax, come here and bend over!” she yelled drunkenly. Well the bottle did look a bit phallic he thought amused at her hijinks. 

Foster ignored her, “I think the object was to pass out before Dax could get back and ask any questions.” He put her down. She wobbled then plopped down on the lounge that she and Ji-yong had shared and leaning over she started poking Dax with one finger.

“Hey why you so nasty and sweaty?” he didn’t answer her just lay there groaning, which didn’t make her happy. “Dax,” poke, “Dax,” poke. 

Dax roused irritated with all the poking from the now very inebriated girl, he got his bearings and remembered it was his turn. “Oh no Missy! Got you now. Truth or dare sweets?” He said with a comical leer.

“Bugger, truth then” She looked a Ji-yong and grinned, “last time I chose dare I woke up in the barn stinking of weed, booze and cow shit,” she said swaying where she sat.

“I want you to tell Ji-yong something very embarrassing.” He said smiling like the Cheshire cat.

“Really, something embarrassing, anything embarrassing. Okay, here goes,” She looked at Ji-yong, staggering drunk but desperately trying to act serious and he grinned waiting for some sort of declaration, maybe her feelings for him he hoped. “Ji-yong, your friend T.O.P., in Bae Bae, when he says, ‘my Princess’, it curls my toes.” And she then fell over laughing. He had to smile, she still had that impulsive sense of humor, the operation at least didn’t steal that from her. But also, he couldn’t wait to share that little tidbit with T.O.P.

“It’s hot, you’re hot, I’m hot.” She murmured. He looked away for just a moment at the others laughing.

Foster was saying something to Finley when they heard the splash. She had crawled off the lounge chair and was sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet in the chilly water. The splash had been the bottle of tequila sailing out toward the middle of the pool. “Fetch me my bottle someone.” The logic of a drunk resembles a two-year-old he thought.

“Ridley,” Finley started when she just grinned looking back at them and slid off the side into the deep end of the pool and went straight down.

Ji-yong instinctively hit the water fast with only the thought of getting to Ridley, its cold temperature almost took his breath, but he found her near the bottom. He pulled her into his arms and brought them both to the surface.

“Well game nights over, she’s half drowned and drunk.”’ Sid said, by the stairs at the shallow end. He held out a hand for Ji-yong who only pushed a dripping and giggling Ridley his way then followed her out. Foster pulled two beach towels from the locker on the patio, handing him one he then started trying to towel Ridley off.

“Noooo we’re night swimming,” she mumbled from under the large beach towel as Foster tried his best to dry out her hair. Her hands disappeared only to come out to sling a dripping wet bra toward the pool. “Got to be freeee.”

“Ji-yong, I’d like you to meet Streak. Just a note for the future, tequila makes her shed clothes till she is butt naked so it’s best for private parties only.” He said aggravated. “Now, I guess since you are staying here with her you will get the joy of nursing the drunk girl through the night.”

“Don’t let her go to the bathroom by herself and shut the door.” Sid said. “She locked me out last time and sat on the floor and cried because she was locked in till I picked the lock and ‘saved’ her.”

“She hasn’t got a wink of sense when she’s loaded,” this came from Tommy, “But she is the life of the party.” 

Her wet top landed at his feet. “Nope, shower time young lady,” Foster said as he pushed the towel wrapped girl toward the house.

The gang followed them in and split to go different ways as soon as they were inside. He quickly went to his room and threw on a dry pair of sweats and a t-shirt and rejoined Finley in the kitchen. Finley opened the fridge and pulled a bottle of water out and then opened a drawer, shuffled through it till he found a small red bottle of what Ji-yong assumed was pain reliever and then handed it to Ji-yong. “She will need that in the morning and so will you.”

They heard a shower start and then Ridley shout about the water being cold. Sid walked in from the utility room with a mop bucket. “I washed it out and put some paper towels in the bottom so it’s there if she gets sick and can’t make it to the toilet.” 

Finley started toward Ridley’s bedroom, passing a snoring Dax on the couch. Pointing toward the sleeping man he said, “That one is always helpful as you can see.” They walked into Ridley’s bedroom. It had cream colored walls with dark hardwood floors, the same as the rest of the house. The bed was a fourposter mahogany rice bed with a cream and white coverlet that was loaded with decorative pillows. It had steps beside it on one side it was so tall. Above the bed was a large print of a nautilus shell in different colors of muted blue. It and a pale blue chair in the corner were the only pops of color in the room.

Tommy started removing all the decorative pillows laying them on the floor beside the bed, then he efficiently pulled the coverlet back and folded it down at the end of the bed. He pulled four fluffy white pillows from under the bed and put them on the top then slid the largest of the decorative pillows back under the bed to keep them out of the way. 

They heard giggling from the bathroom and Foster trying to get Ridley out of the shower. Finley just shook his head and walked to the dresser and pulled underwear, silky and blue from a top drawer. Then opening the larger middle drawer pulled out a thin cotton pajama set. Clutching these he walked to the bathroom door and cracked it open, “Is she safe yet?” he asked not looking inside. He then threw the clothing through the crack in the door receiving a muffled thanks from Foster.

“Um, why does he take care of her like that?” Ji-yong asked curious. 

“Well they are the closest and he considers her his personal Barbie doll since he wasn’t allowed one as a kid.”

“Is he still in the closet?” Ji-yong asked, curious.

“Only to his parents but that is a long difficult story and his to tell…” he left it hanging when Foster emerged pulling a freshly washed and pajama dressed Ridley beside him.

“You forgot my nighttime stuff Foster,” she whined. 

“If you want that get Ji-yong to help you, I’ve had my fill of baby-sitting you tonight madam. Face creams and toners is not my priority at this moment.” He then looked over at the guys, “Y’all ready to go?”

Ridley lay back on the bed grumbling as the guys told her goodnight. After collecting Dax from the couch, they walked out leaving him to lock up and make his way back to Ridley. When he walked back into the room, she was out cold. He rolled her onto her side and placed a pillow behind her to keep her propped up just in case she did get sick while he was in the shower. Returning to his room he quickly collected his pajamas and grabbing his toothbrush and tooth paste he returned to her room. He snapped off the overhead light dimming the room to near darkness and leaving the door open he walked into her bathroom. It was a large room; two walls were solid ceiling to cabinet mirrors. One side had double sinks and the other was a vanity area with a curio in the corner holding an array of perfumes. A shower and bath ran along one wall, both generous in size. An open doorway led to a dressing area that was all girl, full of shoes, purses, dresses, and various other girly things. 

He stripped and stepped into the shower, washing quickly, and keeping an ear out for any sign that she may be sick. He turned the shower off and stepped out, lost in thought as he toweled off thinking of the day. Mostly dry he kicked the towel into the corner by the clothes basket and walked naked toward one of the sinks to brush his teeth. He did so quickly and turned to grab his pajama bottoms only to see Ridley’s eyes open and unabashedly watching him walk around naked. He was frozen for a moment, long enough for her eyes to look him over top to bottom. “Oh!” he said, covering himself the best he could before he dashed out of her view. He heard a sleepy giggle from the other room. 

Embarrassed he dressed quickly in pajama pants and a thin t-shirt then walked into her room blushing like a teen. “Um, I’m sorry, I thought you were out for the night.” 

She looked up at him sleepy, eyelids drooping drowsy and still a mellow from the alcohol. “I dream of you sometimes. I don’t know if its memories or stuff my mind took from my videos.”

“Diary huh? I’m in your diary?” he smiled mischievously as he walked to the other side of the bed and crawled in. It wasn’t sexual, sleeping with her, he was just keeping her safe throughout the night, he rationalized. She rolled to face him as he lay down, so that they were now looking into each other’s eyes. He wanted to pull her to him and snuggle but that would be a little awkward. 

“Um hum, you have a whole month dedicated just to being with you and then another month up until my operation with me whining about missing you non-stop.” She smiled sleepy and wistful. 

“Rid, you had a reason to whine, you were going through some scary stuff.”

“I wish I could remember that month with you. I was so happy.” 

“Where is this diary? Can I read what you wrote?” He asked trying to change the subject.

“That’s funny, but nope, no sneaking peeks in my diary.” She looked at him, deep into his eyes, studying them as if they held all the truths in the world. “You complicate my world Ji-yong.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“It’s complicated.” She said and drifted off to sleep with a smile on her lips. He soon followed her.


	5. Little Bad Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there may be mistakes. I worked on this in between work deadlines, personal work, and a birthday party for my daughter. Its been hectic so if there are goofs, I'll fix them soon, I hope.

Little Bad Girl  
Chapter 5 Fairhope, Alabama, USA April 2020

She awoke first with a headache. During the normal week she gets up around five a.m. so when she doesn’t have to be across the bay in her office, she allows herself the luxury of sleeping till seven. This is automatic and she doesn’t need alarms to wake herself up. 

She looked over at the man who shared her bed. He lay beside her, his lashes dark against his cheeks. She had to fight the urge to curl into him and his warmth and go back to sleep, wondering what it would feel like pillow her head on his shoulder and hold him as she slept. She watched him for a moment smiling; his hair tousled, face puffy with sleep, and chin and upper lip scruffy with stubble. He has a hint of a smile on his lips as he sleeps. His breathing is soft and untroubled, so she slides from the bed carefully so as not to wake him up.

Padding into the bathroom she quickly washes her face and brushes her teeth. She walks into her dressing room and pulls some workout tights and an exercise bra from a drawer and quickly exchanges her nightclothes for workout gear. Quickly putting on her fitness tracker she walks from the room popping two pills dry from the bottle of aspirin as she does. After a quick trip to the kitchen for a cold bottle of water to wash down the aspirin she climbs the stairs to her favorite part of her home. The upstairs was meant to be have two bedrooms with a small bath and a long playroom in between. She turned one bedroom into her home office and the other into her own personal gym. Upstairs is just for her to unwind from the world. She had the architect split the long playroom into a well-stocked bar area and on the other side added couches and plush recliners to make her own small home theater. She walks through the theater area and into the gym. Connecting her phone to the wireless speakers she quickly chooses her workout playlist, time to sweat out the booze.

///

He thinks what woke him was Dirty Vibe playing somewhere. He released that with CL and Diplo in 2015. He sips the lukewarm water from the bottle that Finley had placed there the night before. Getting out of bed he wondered toward the kitchen and pulled couple of grapes from the fruit bowl on the bar and popped them into his mouth as he walked outside to smoke. The music was coming from upstairs, Ridley must be in her gym. It was just too early for that; he opened the door to the patio walked outside. He could hear the music out here too. Sexy Bitch was playing very loud, what was she doing? Wondering back into the house after he finished the cigarette, he made a quick trip to his room to use the facilities and brush his teeth and change his clothes. After that he followed the music toward the stairs leading to the second floor. He takes in the room when he gets to the top of the stairs. It’s a long room separated into two sections with two other rooms cased in with French doors on each end. The one to his left is a home office and through what looks like a home theater is another room set up as a gym. 

He approached the door not wanting to startle her and cause an accident only to find her running on a treadmill. The music on the sound system was so loud she couldn’t have heard him enter and so he stood in the entry way watching her. He’d had concerts quieter than this. Showtech is pumping out of the speakers at a deafening volume while she runs like the devil is chasing her. She is wearing a pair of black running tights with an exercise bra and she makes sweat look good. Arousing good. 

This is a nice home gym, looks about four and half meter square. One wall is just glass looking out at the bay while the right side is mirrored with a bar across it. A workout bench and the treadmill face out at the water. There is a punching bag in the corner and a colorful set of matched barbells. She slaps at the control to slow down to a fast walk. She taps her watch and a slower song comes across the speakers. BTS of all things, it’s amusing to him, going from a rave version of Showtek’s ‘Here we Fucking Go’ to BTS’s ‘Spring Day’. It’s musical whip lash, her music choices are a bit eclectic.

She slaps the music off as BTS starts on Boy With Luv and then rips the emergency cord from the treadmill stopping it to an abrupt standstill. Still facing the bay, he watches her reach high into a stretch, her back glistening with exertion. She stands looking out at the bay in quiet contemplation breathing hard and he would love to know what is going through her head. “Penny for your thoughts.” He says quietly but she jumps as if he yelled. 

She hops off the tread mill and sits on the weight bench. “You scared me to death.” She says as she mops her brow with a towel she picked up from a rack.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to disturb you while you were running.”

“I didn’t wake you, did I? I like it very loud when I’m working out. Lucky, I don’t have close neighbors or there would be noise complaints.”

“No, I had to have a hit of nicotine to wake up fully.”

“No comment,” she laughed, “I’m hungry, ready to eat?” He nodded. “Let me just jump in the shower and clean up a bit and I will make us one of granny’s famous southern breakfasts.”

//////

Thirty minutes later he watched as she put homemade biscuits in the oven and then cracked eggs to fry beside a rasher of bacon in a large black cast iron skillet. Behind that a white porridge like substance bubbled in a saucepan. She told him it was grits. She must have to work out every day if she eats like this he thought as he watches her cook. 

He had to know so putting it off long enough he asked, “What do you remember about last night?”

“Well the group of us talking around the pool and daring Dax to do something. Hope I wasn’t too embarrassing?

“Oh, you were ok. I’ve seen worse. Is that all? All, that you remember?” he hoped she had forgotten.

“Oh! Do you mean the naked guy in my bathroom last night?” She grinned and giggled. He shut his eyes in embarrassment. “That was the highlight of the night.”

“So, what shall we do today?” She asked as she flipped the eggs one at a time.

“What are the options?”

Well, I can show you Lanecorp headquarters which is only exciting if you get off on sheer boredom. Or I can take you to my uncle’s farm. We can ride horses, ATV’s, target, or skeet shoot. But I warn you, at this time of year the cattle are in the fields which makes for stepping and smell hazards.” She laughed then continued. “Then there is the beach. It’s still too chilly to lay out but we can put on some wetsuits and surf. We have jet skis, or we can take my boat out and fly like hell out on the water. Or if you want to just relax, I can make us up a picnic lunch and we could picnic at the city park by the pier.”

“Let’s picnic. It sounds laid back and mellow.”

Xxx

The next morning, he entered her office through one of the two French doors and closed it behind him. She was sitting behind her desk typing away with her hair in a messy bun held by a pair of pencils poked in like chop sticks and she wore only her night clothes. She had on her ear buds and her head quietly bobbed along with whatever music she was listening to. 

His breath caught at the picture behind her. It was a framed poster size photo of a naked woman with her back turned from the camera. The photo was stylishly done in black and white, and shockingly enough the model was Ridley! She had her legs crossed giving her torso an elegant tilt and her arms were over her head with one hand gripping the other forearm. You can see the barest image of her profile and the hint of a smile on her face. Even more astonishing was the tattoo of a Korean dragon that graced the slender figure. Its head was on her right shoulder and it twisted all the way down her back with the tail clinging to the curve of her very bare left buttock. The Imugi held a Yeiouiju or dragon orb in its palm, prepared to devour the orb to become a true dragon. He was speechless.

“Like?” an amused voice asked distracting him from the photo. “Do you like it?” It was hard to tear his attention away to look down at the woman at the desk.

“Wow,” he looked back up at the photo and then down at her. “That is not something I would have expected from you.”

“Actually, that was done on a dare. You can’t tell because I had myself photographed in black and white, but the artist painted it to look just like a tattoo. It took hours to paint that on and then the photo session was just as long.” It was stunning, she was stunning, flawless skin, and the shape of her, oh lord. “Female photographer too.”

“It was a dare?” His eyes drifted back to her from the photo and the small mole he remembered on her hip. Her giggle brought his attention back to her.

“I keep saying I’m going to go back and have the real thing inked on me, but I keep chickening out.” He couldn’t help but laugh, he had a fondness for ink himself. “Maybe I will but make it only just an inch or two in size. I’m still debating on the placement though.”

He knew where would place it, but he didn’t think he could stand another touching her skin. “Don’t tell me this was a Dax dare?” Personally, he thought that their dares were a little too much. Rich kids with too much time on their hands.

“Yep, it was Dax. The dare was put a nude of me over the mantle for my open house. So, I thought if I had to do it, I wanted it to be pretty. After I had it printed, I put it over the mantle downstairs for my house-warming party and it caused a riot.” She laughed and wagged her eyebrows. “The parents were shocked, Grandma was scandalized, and the neighbors were talking for months. I loved it!” She leaned forward and laughed. “Mom replaced it with the beach painting, but I couldn’t get rid of it, so I put it here.”

“Yeppeun.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Oh, sorry, what did Finley and the others think?” He asked again looking up at the photo. It was hard to tear his gaze away.

“Oh, I have no trouble keeping them out of my office and away from my computer now. So, what would you like to do today? Any ideas?”

“Something simple, if you have some work to finish, I have some things I’m working on with my music.”

“No that’s fine, I was just typing up some notes for Jeremy, my second in command, to work on. The company is branching out in the Asian market and my team is leading the project.”

“Wow, so you were coming back to my side of the world.”

“Something like that,” She said with a little smile. It made him wonder if she had planned on finding him while she was in Asia. He hoped she had planned to. “Oh, got a question for you. What all did you bring with you clothes wise? The reason I’m asking is that I have to be at church this Sunday and if you would like you can come with me.”

“Um, I have one business suit, some travel clothes and a couple pairs of blue jeans.”

“Remember karaoke? Sorry, the noraebang with the guys. I have a solo at church this Sunday that I can’t get out of. Are you game to see me sing?” She asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

He chuckled and nodded. “How do you want me to dress for this? I can go shopping around here just point the way.”

“Well, summer casual so a pair of slacks and a nice polo or button up would do. Got anything like that in your luggage?” with the shake of his head meaning that he didn’t she said, “We need to call Cass then, she can set you up with something you would like rather than tolerate. I don’t shop.”

“Cass?”

“Yes, she’s my friend and stylist. I hate shopping and she handles all that for me.”

“You don’t pick out your stuff?” 

“Hell, to the no. Why would I want to do that when I can get someone else to do that tedious chore? Any way you’ll love Cass, she’s irreverent as hell.” She picks up the phone and makes a call. Putting the speaker on they listened as it rang a couple of times before a female voice answered.

“Sporty spice! You rang?” The voice wasn’t southern like Ridley’s, but it was close. The girl on the other line giggled and it sounded like she was in a large room wherever she was.

“Hey girl, got a job for you that I need asap, like company jet delivery.” She has her clothes flown in.

“Only you darlin, so are we looking for Office Bitch, Southern Princess Bitch, or Socialite Bitch. Just so you know I’m not touching that Sporty Spice vibe thing you have going.” 

“No honey, no bitch wear needed at this time, you have me stocked.”

“Forget it Sporty Spice, I suggest a sporting goods store…” she sounded like she was going to hang up.

“No this is guy wear.” Ridley said quickly before she did.

“What the… Oh, so you finally gotten over your true love, Mr. fuck him once and leave him. I’ve been telling you to just dip your pussy back into the game and you would get over him.” 

“Shut up! We have an audience!” Ridley tried to hush her, but she continued.

“Oops, my bad. So, who am I dressing? You know Foster loves to do a southern redneck makeover so why are you calling me?”

“The man I’m calling about is more of a fashion victim than Foster and only came here in travel gear. I need a fashion victims’ version of Southern casual. The works from swimming to evening. He prefers Channel but go reserved, it’s the bible belt and we don’t want to freak out the locals. So not to Pan for the bible bangers ok.” She instructed Cass with a wink towards him. This was a good conversation.

“Oh my god you finally got a boy toy. I told you brushing off the cobwebs off the lady taco would do wonders for your…”

“Shut up he is here!” Ridley was blushing a bright red now. He liked this conversation and could not wait to meet this Cass.

“Oh…Hi! Helllooooo… who are you…. Speak to be boy toy.”

“Not a boy toy, I think you can call me Mr. Fuck em once and leave.” She screamed over the line and they heard the phone drop. It was quickly retrieved. 

“Oh my god, I’m delivering this myself. I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon, you had better call the New York office and tell them to warm up the jet for me.” Cass informed Ridley.

“Try not to stagger down the stairs this time. You know you have a problem with booze and altitude.” 

“Oooo if you still have that young steward, I’m going to bang him this time. Shoot me the measurements and sizes and I will get busy; I’ve got a plane to catch.” The phone crashed down and ended the call. She could picture Cass running from her office with her many contacts on her cell organizing Ji-yong a wardrobe. 

“That was Cass,” she said bashfully 

“Love of your life?”

“Not talking.”

“Mr. fuck once and leave?”

“Not talking. I plead the fifth.”

“Fifth? Look, we need to…”

“It’s been two years Ji-yong.” She really wanted to drop the conversation, but he wouldn’t let it.

“Cobwebs?” He smirked.

“I’ve dated!” She said in her defense, “I just have a bad track record; they rarely get a second date.”

“Really? Then what about those cobwebs?”

“Oh honey, there are no cobwebs.”

“Why not?” he asked with an amused grin on his face 

“Because” she leans forward and her eyes are dancing with mischief, “I buzz them away frequently.” She smirks and he gulps at the thought. Well damn.


	6. A little bit of trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hwayugi and Lee Seung Gi, yum. You must see this one, look for it. It’s called Korean Odyssey on Netflix. OMG, I watch this one all the time. Lee Hong-Ki from FT Island is on it as a secondary character (P.K.) and he is adorable. I’m a K-Drama junkie can’t you tell. There is a new one out called “It’s Okay to Not be Okay” that is amazing. One actor, Oh Jung-se, did a better job than DiCaprio did in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”. That’s a high bar and he sailed over it. Amazing acting….  
> Sorry this is a sweet little filler chapter while I work on setting up some conflict/resolution.   
> Have a safe trip Callasandra!

A little bit of trouble  
Chapter 6 Fairhope, Alabama, USA April 2020

“I’m sleeping in today, maybe dying. Call Dax and y’all go do guy things please.” Ridley says as she rolls over pulling the pillow over her head.

His face creased in concern, “Are you okay, no more head aces I hope.”

A muffled, “No, it’s not that. Oh, let me die in peace.” Came from under the pillow.

This isn’t good the last time she was sick it was unbelievably bad. Should he call Finley or her mom? “I can’t help if you won’t tell me.” He heard another mumble from under the pillow. He thought she said something about embarrassment, but most was a whispered mumble.

He walked closer to the bed and pulled the pillow from her head. She looked at everything but him and a faint blush crept across her cheeks. He raised his eyebrows urging her to speak up.

“Girly problem.”

“Girly problems?” he repeated and then it hit him. “Oh.” He leaned over and kissed her on her brow. “I’ll be back.” He said and left her with a quizzical look on her face. He walked into the kitchen and pulled a bag of salty chips from the pantry and grabbed a bag of Hershey kisses he spied on another shelf. Walking out of the pantry he pulled open the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of bottles of coke along with two bottles of water. He thought for a moment then opening a drawer he remembered Finley pulling medicine from the night that they drank by the pool, pulled a bottle of ibuprofen out and added that to his pile. He then pulled out a large mixing bowl and added ice and then tucking the drinks in so they would stay chilled covered that with a large drying towel. He pulled a deep serving tray from a drawer and sat the bowl of drinks, chips, medicine, and chocolate on it. He then went into his bathroom and opened the linin closet. He remembered seeing a heating pad in there somewhere. He found it on the top shelf and pulled it down. Tucking it under his arm he returned to the kitchen to pick up the tray. 

He carried the tray into the bedroom and placed it on the dresser. Ridley peeked out from under the pillow curiously. “What are you doing?” she asked suspiciously. 

“Taking care of you.” He winked at her then walked to the armoire and opening it up turned on the television. He picked up the remote and handed it to Ridley. She took it with a small smile. He walked back to the dresser and pulled the heating pad off the tray. Plugging it into the wall behind the nightstand he turned it on medium heat and then pulled back the sheets making Ridley squeak in surprise. She was wearing pink bunny PJ pants. He plopped the heating pad on her tummy and patting it twice pulled the sheets back in place. “Coke or water?” 

She grinned, “Coke please.”

He cracked one open and handed it to her. “I also have salty chips and some chocolate.”

“Wow, can I keep you?” It popped out before she could stop herself. He didn’t say anything but just winked at her again. He picked up the bag of kisses and pulled one out. Opening it he walked with the bag and the single opened kiss toward the bed. 

“Open,” when she did, he popped the chocolate kiss into her mouth. He sat on the bed and kicked off his house slippers. Scooting up he snuggled close to her. “So, what do you want to watch?” he said as he draped an arm over her waist.

“Hwayugi is on Netflix.” 

“Oh, I have competition huh? Lee Seung Gi? Tisk, tisk, tisk.” He laughed softly and his breath stirred her hair and caused her to shiver slightly. He pretended not to notice. 

“Never ever blaspheme my monkey god.” She said with a giggle while reaching into the bag for another candy. By the third episode she was asleep. He looked down at her and couldn’t help but smile. Yep, she could keep him, there was no way she was going to get rid of him. 

////

That afternoon they went to her uncle’s farm and used two of the ATV’s to ride around, race each other and hop hills. It was fun. Later they rested beside a creek sharing a box of raisins for a snack. Ridley lounged on an ATV seat with her feet propped up on the handlebars while she looked at the clouds above. 

“So, tell me some things about the new Ridley.” Ji-Yong asked. Now he looked far from the Korean Pop star. He had his helmet off; his hair was a mess, and he had a strip of mud across his cheek. His clothes were mud coated and the shoes would never be the same again. 

She looked over at him. “Hmm, I’m a bit boring. I work way too much and sleep five hours or less a night.” Looking back up at the clouds she continued, “You should have seen me in the months after I healed up from the operation. I went a little crazy, I think. I had this diary that told me about a chunk of my missing life and how it was equal parts hell on earth and a small slice of heaven. I was a little angry but so was she.” She looked back over at him and their eyes connected, “She was so in love with you. I absolutely hate her sometimes.”

“Why?” he asked curious.

“I feel like she had something that I will never have. It’s weird we are the same person, but I feel like the Ridley 2.0 who accidently erased the Ridley 1.0 by accident.” She laughed, “I remember that I wanted to celebrate life by doing stupid things. Get this, I even jumped out of a plane. Dax talked me into it. Supposedly to see if I had lost my fear of flying.”

“Did you?” 

“Nope, I still don’t like flying and I screamed myself hoarse all the way down. If the tandem guy would have been in front, I would have clawed him to death.”

“Skydiving is a little extreme. I keep seeing this little waif in the museum dressed in pink. She would have never jumped out of a plane.” 

“Yeah, they say I’m impulsive now. Which is stupid, because who drops their whole life and disappears to the other side of the globe but someone who is impulsive. So, I must have been impulsive before.”

“Guys?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you date?” It was hypocritical, but he was so jealous of anyone who got near her.

“Well, they tried to set me up, but my heart wasn’t in it. Most ended up in disasters.” She snorted very unladylike.

“That doesn’t sound good. In what way were they a disaster.”

“Well one asshole tried to paw me, and I broke his nose.” She said and he smiled at that. He wished he could break it again for him.

“Another one picked me up and wanted to invite himself in, I put that option to the curb real fast I almost got sued for that one, we settled out of court. Another one as we drove down the interstate made a remark that made my hair stand on end and I had him drop me off at a gas station and had one of the guys pick me up.”

“What was the worst?”

“My grandmother encouraged one of the executives in New York ask me out. I’m a lawyer not some dumb blond twit. And yes, I grew up down south and prefer it here, but he spoke me to like I was a slow-witted idiot. Very big mistake. Let’s just say I put that misogynistic bastard in his place quick. Fucktard.”

“That Sunday, in front of everyone, I told grandmother that if she ever tried to set me up with anyone again, I would do something truly unspeakable. I haven’t been bothered since.”

“Unspeakable?” She blushed and looked away.

“Yep, impulsively I told her and everyone there that I would fuck the guy six ways to Sunday and then pay him well for his use. I was bluffing but she fell for it. Total crickets’ moment”

“Crickets? Six ways to Sunday?” He looked curious but very amused.

“Crickets means you could have heard crickets because everyone was silent. I think they were in shock. I was bluffing…” She looked over at him, he had a big gummy grin on his face. 

“Six ways?” he grinned, “So what does that mean?”

“No comment.” She said back with a bigger grin.

He arched an eyebrow. “Show me then.” She threw a raison at him.

She rolled her eyes. “Good one but, look there hasn’t been anyone else. Only you.” His heart sang. “What about you?” oh well. 

“Me?” 

“Yes, this works both ways you know.”

“I haven’t dated anyone since I’ve been out. I’ve been around a lot of women before and after service, it comes with the job. They can be persistent, but I wasn’t interested.” He wasn’t going to go into how persistent either. “I think I was going through a depression, coming back to the real world from military life is very disconcerting. You go from being told what to do every waking moment to making all your own decisions in the time it took to write your signature on a piece of paper.” 

She could tell he didn’t want to talk about before he went in. She remembered looking up G Dragon on you tube and seeing him partying from before he went into the military. She shook the thought off, not wanting to go there.

“Want to shoot some skeet? Blowing up shit is catharsis.” Now she wanted to seriously blow some bitches up, jealous much? Yep.

They returned that evening to a living room full of boxes and a tipsy stylist asleep on her sofa.


	7. Ch 7 Heathens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter there is a confrontation with an elderly woman which I feel I need to explain. The character says something derogatory to Ji-yong and Ridley sets her straight. Also, this character is based on a real person, my fraternal adopted grandmother, a truly hateful woman. She’s been dead for over 25 years now and my husband says I just need to get over it but, nope, I can’t. I like to think her coffin up the street in the family cemetery is polished to a mirror finish on the inside with all the spinning I’ve made her do since she passed. Spin another round granny LOL! But back to the racism thing, I judge people by their actions. If you are a shit human being, I won’t give you the time of day, I don’t care what race or color you are. Simple as that.

Ch 7 HEATHENS  
They walked into the house at sundown to find the living room littered with boxes and a tipsy stylist on the couch. “Cass is here. Shhh.” Ridley loud whispered to Ji-yong

“I hear you Sporty Spice.” Cass sat up and looked over the back of the couch with a cheesy grin and an empty wine glass. Her short blonde hair was sticking up all over and she looked more than a little disheveled. Ridley thought she must have bagged the steward on the company jet.

“It’s a little early to be loaded Cass.” Cass just grinned. “Have you another story from the mile-high club to regale me with?” But before she could start Ji-yong caught Cass’s attention.

“Pretty, pretty” she said standing up and walking around the couch to slowly circle Ji-yong, inspecting him with her stylist eye. He did not look like the G-Dragon fashion plate people were accustomed to since he was in dirty jeans, a sweaty t-shirt, and smudge of mud graced one cheek. Looking Ji-yong up and down she finally spoke to him, “Hello boy toy.” he just smirked. 

“I thought I was Mr. Fuck.” His eyes were all smiles and with that instantly the two were friends. Ridley thought this was a match made in inuendo and fashion heaven. Cass was a female version of Dax whose peccadillos were legend in some circles. She had tried to bring Ridley over to what she called her “Unashamed Slut Side” with the offer of all sorts of goodies and hook ups to take her mind off the missing love of her forgotten past but Ridley only took her advice on toys; it was so much safer.

Cass leaned into Ji-yong and whispered, “I give it about a week or less and you might get that name back but until then… well, we will see.” His grin only got bigger. Yep, he liked this one. 

“Cass, he is covered in dirt and as long as you don’t hear him talk he looks like a local so how can you tell he was the one I wanted you to dress?”

“Fashion knows fashion baby, and this guy reeks of my breed. He might play with you and your adrenaline addiction but that’s temporary, you got a born and bred city boy here. That and something else, I can’t put my finger on yet,” Cass looked him up and down with a puzzled look on her face. Ridley had never told Cass of who Ji-yong was only giving her a story of him being a Korean businessman. “Hmm, I’ve seen you somewhere. A magazine maybe, I know I’ve seen you somewhere, spill.”

“The cover of Korean Vogue,” he said with his trademark smirk. Cass just squealed like a teen meeting her favorite movie star. “And I’m a brand ambassador for Chanel.” She clutched at her heart and then fanned herself like she would faint.

“Kiss my ass Anna Wintour,” her eyes got wide, “OMG, you were in those pics with Lagerfeld!” She looked over at Ridley, “I should slap you silly, and dressing him in shit from the sporting goods store.” She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him toward the first box, “I have lots of fun things that are not going to make a bit of sense to the Anti over there,” and she escorted him to the closest box which happened to be shoes.

Balenciaga, Fendi, Tom Ford, and Channel, and more. In shoes alone this was going to cost her a small fortune Ridley figured. Ji-yong was opening boxes like it was Christmas morn and talking with Cass about the details of each new find. It was worth it watching his happy smile and the way his eyes lit up. It tugged her heart strings and made her always want to see him happy. He opened the next box in line which was smaller and started pulling out items of clothing. This was more intimate items like underwear, and night things. It also held several pair of swim trunks, and a lightweight summer robe. She started walking towards the kitchen thinking about what she could make for dinner when Cass stopped her.

“Oy, I have one box for you, I heard from your mom you were soloing this Sunday.” She pointed to the long narrow box on the coffee table. Ridley opened the box to find a pantsuit. Cream trousers with a pink floral pattern and a hot pink silky shell top and a matching blazer

Ridley held the blazer up, “I’m going to look like a bouquet exploded.”

“It’s now so shut up.” She just rolled her eyes and picked up the box to take to her room.

“Are you going to be there when I sing?” she asked knowing the answer already. Cass was agnostic and avoided religion. 

“Lightning would hit me before I made it out of the car.” She said with a giggle.

“You use that excuse every time.”

“I’m not changing my ways,” she defended herself, “If anything, I’ll be an eleventh-hour conversion. You keep trying honey.” And patted her on the butt as she passed.

“I am going to sic Tommy on you!” Ridley called from the bedroom as she looked for an empty hanger to hang up the new outfit. Finding one she quickly hung up the garment and made her way back to where the two were neck deep in shirts and slacks.

“Oh, that’s rich. Popgun himself going to get me in church. Yep, not happening.” She said as Ridley walked back into the room. “Okay, I leave Saturday night, so we have all morning and afternoon for girl’s day.” 

Oh no, Ridley thought she was going to get out of one of Cass’s ‘girls’ days. She tried for the visitor defense, “But Ji-yong…”

This wasn’t going to stop Cass, she volleyed back, “Hey Ji-yong, want to go with us to get scrubbed, trimmed, peeled, and our bits waxed?” He just looked at her and blinked, pondering what bits Ridley was getting waxed. He thought he had better skip that or it might prove to be embarrassing when he spent the whole time hiding how effected he was. 

“I’ll call the guys and ya’ll can do some guy stuff.” Ridley volunteered. Oh, thank God he thought. 

*** 

Saturday is a day for fishing, beer, and hanging with the guys. It’s a pleasant day with calm waters and Dax has quit fishing all together to dedicate his day to beer and gossip. He sits on one side of Ji-yong clutching his third one and munching from a bag of pretzels. “She carried that diary of hers with her everywhere and would check back on all her notes. I guess you were all in it.” He adds to the conversation. They were talking of the time after Ridley’s surgery, “Yeah, after the surgery she was very confused for a while, then she got angry.”

Sid buts in behind them, returning from the head. “But some of the temper was related to the surgery. We were told she might have subtle differences in her personality.”

Dax finished for him, “Well we got a Ridley back with temper and impulse issues.”

Ji-yong contemplated the condensation rolling down the side of the can, “I think I could understand. It was a lot of trauma.”

“She is just, little things don’t bother her and she won’t fly off the handle over nonsense but don’t fuck with one of us or the company or you’re toast.” Foster says. “She considers us hers and when it comes to women, she is territorial. The girl only has two female friends other than family members.”

“Oh, and we have learned to never, ever set her up on a date of any sort. Big mistake.” Finley said then snorted with a memory. 

“She told me she broke a guys nose.” 

The guys exchange a look between them that makes him curious. “Um, that was the first guy.”

“There have been more than one! How many guys has she had to fight?”

“The nutcracker!” laughs Dax. What does a ballet have to do with Ridley? Did she cause a disturbance at the ballet?

Finley continued with a disapproving look at Dax, “Ridley was set up. But she didn’t know it was a set up when she went out with the guy, he played nice to get her to go out with him but when she did, he was a condescending asshole. To this day this is the biggest blowup I have ever seen her have. Ridley went nuclear, full burn it all down, nuclear.”

“In what way,” he asked with a raised eyebrow. She had mentioned a date that went bad yesterday.

“Oh boy, ambulances, the sheriff, lawyers, and payoffs. It was a shit show let me tell you, but we kept it out of the media. That night Finley and I were at grans house. It was one of his grandmother’s stuffy dinners; Finley drug me to it because he can’t sit through one of those things alone, Sandra and Pop, and the grandparents, with a few more acquaintances. We were minus Ridley because she purposely set the date up so she would have an excuse to get away from Grandmother. Well we are at the table in quiet conversation, and Ridley burst into the room, her clothes messed up, looking like a wild woman. She pulls a wadded up hundred-dollar bill out of her pocket and throws it on grandmothers plate and tells her that if she ever hires someone to take her out again she will, well, she said something very vulgar and then looks over at dad who is in shock at what his sweet little daughter had just said and tells him that he needs to call the family lawyers and any contacts he has in the sheriff’s office.”

Finley took over, “By then we think she has gone and killed the guy. Luckily, she didn’t. The report our lawyer got from the emergency room said she ruptured a testicle.” Ow, that made every one of them subconsciously want to cover their balls. 

“Yeah that dick was humping an icepack for weeks afterword. Probably picking his pubes out of his dental work too.” Dax said with a leer and an eyebrow wiggle.

“He had to be paid off to keep his mouth shut. It was ruled self-defense, so he didn’t have a leg to stand on.” Finley finished... 

////

Ji-yong hated getting up early but today was Ridley’s solo at church and he was curious to hear her sing. He observed the church from the parking lot, it was what Americans would call a mega church. Entering the huge lobby, he glanced around at the myriad of people: black, white, he even saw an Asian or two in the crowd. The lobby was cavernous, it held a small café as well as a small glassed in room for church merchandise. Americans, he thought, mentally shaking his head, and surveying the crowd, they only got stranger. 

Many people greeted Ridley and the guys and welcomed him with smiles, but no one recognized him. All in all, it was a very happy crowd. 

“I’m going back to the choir room. Guys keep an eye on him and keep the girls away please.” Ridley laughed as she walked off waving at them without looking back

He looked toward Foster and Tommy and arched an eyebrow.

Tommy laughed and said, “If you want to meet a girl in the south you have two guaranteed options. Church or a bar. Just watch.” It didn’t take long after Ridley had walked off till they were encircled by young females. They were flirtatious but reserved. 

Foster leaned toward him and whispered that Ridley had most girls scared of her, so they knew not to approach when she was near. A few eyes turned his way, interested, but when Foster said offhandedly that he was here with Ridley and it was almost like slamming door the way they backed away from him. It made him want to laugh at the situation. He wanted her to claim him but couldn’t get her to admit there was something still there and yet she had others scared to approach him. So, he guessed using the jealousy route was off the board.

“Gentlemen, we need to go get a seat, it’s about to begin.” Foster said looking at his watch and leading them toward a set of doors to the right of the lobby.

People milled around talking until the music started an upbeat rhythm, cueing everyone to be seated. They quickly found their seats with him sitting between the two. They had just been seated when a gentleman walked mid stage to greet the audience. He welcomed them all for attending so bright and early and then held a quick prayer. The choir filed in behind him looking nice in their white robes, but he couldn’t find Ridley in the group. He looked toward Tommy, who replied, “She will come out next they usually do a full group then a solo then the choir takes over again. After one song from the choir it was time, he was excited to see how she did. The choir director came out and walked to the center of the stage. 

“Good morning, welcome to this morning’s service. Our soloist this morning is one that you all know well. Please welcome Ridley Lane.”

She walked to the center and smiled out at the congregation. Ridley knew how to handle a crowd and had a very confident aura, “Good morning y’all. Most of you know that a couple of years ago I was given a death sentence. It’s a long story, ask someone they will tell you. But long story short I ran. I ran all the way to the other side of the earth and through all my running I couldn’t escape but when I opened my heart my prayers were answered. I’m so thankful. I also want to acknowledge someone who is here today visiting.” Tommy elbowed him and grinned. “He is a friend who gave me the strength to face my fears and I just want to thank him in front of everyone here. Kwon Ji-yong, thank you, you were an answer to many, many prayers.” 

People clapped and there were a few whistles from the balcony. He feels the urge to duck and run but these people don’t know of him. No paparazzi or fans are hiding here to jump out and take a picture. Maybe a few of the Asian parishioners might recognize the name but they probably won’t match him back to G-Dragon, although the younger ones probably could. He also feels touched that she would thank him in front of this crowd of people. “So, today I am going to sing Through It All, hope you enjoy.” When she began, he was riveted, it was unlike their night at the Norabang. This time it was well practiced and not karaoke. 

There was a tickling in the fine hairs on his neck. It was like a ghost on your grave chill. He looked around to see if he could spot what was disturbing him. No one was looking at him except an old woman in a severe grey dress. She was tall and her hair was as grey as the dress she wore. She looked a moment more at him with almost a sneer then turned her attention back to Ridley. He put her out of his mind. There was always some racist asshole out there, and he bet she was one of those.

After the service they had gone across the bay into downtown Mobile to eat beignets at Mo’Bay Beignet Company, a small eatery that sold the tasty fried dough squares. They had that and some of the most bitter coffee he had ever tasted, no matter how much sugar he added it still wasn’t passable. Ridley said it was the chicory root added to it but what ever it was he couldn’t drink it. He switched it out for a bottle of water and then cringed as he watched Ridley downed her own straight black. Later they walked along the streets watching the people mill under the huge oaks in the park. She bought a bag of peanuts to feed the squirrels and they laughed at their antics. On the way back to the car he grabbed her hand in his, and she didn’t pull away. He smiled all the way to the car. 

By they time they got back home it was going on five thirty which gave them thirty minutes to change for dinner at the main house with her mom. It would be nice to see Sandra again. He hadn’t had time to talk to her since the afternoon he had arrived. They dressed quick and took a golf cart over to the main house.

They arrived outside to find Finley and Tommy standing beside Tommy’s SUV. Neither looked happy and when they got out and approached them Finley just pointed to another car in the drive. A black Bentley was parked there. This made Ridley curse under her breath. Tommy answered his questioning look. “Our grandmother Lane is here. She isn’t the most pleasant woman.”

Ridley just said candidly, “She’s a bitch.” Then shaking her head in disgust, she walked toward the entrance. The door was opened for them by the maid that Ji-yong had met the first day he arrived. She held a finger to her lips warning them to be quiet.

“Ms. Sandra is in her study with your grandmother. Dinner might be delayed for a while, would ya’ll like to wait on the patio?”

“Why would we need to wait on the patio Anna?” Anna was quiet, but her face was worried.

“It’s nothing Miss Ridley, ya’ll head toward the patio and I will go get some refreshments.” Ridley just gently pushed past her and walked toward her mother’s study. The guys followed, Tommy and Finley, both with worried look on their faces. The closer they got to the office they could hear voices raised. Two women arguing.

“And you just let her run off with that Asian. Sandra, what are you thinking? You need to control your daughter better.” Said an older voice which Ji-yong assumed was Ridley and Finley’s grandmother.

Ridley turned to the guys behind her, her face was on fire, and her eyes were steely. “Guys why don’t ya’ll take Ji-yong out to eat. I don’t think dinner here would be a good idea tonight.” With that she threw open the door and stepped through and slammed the door behind her. But before the door closed Ji-yong glimpsed the grandmother, it was the gray-haired woman from church earlier that day that was looking at him with disapproval. 

They listened through the closed door to the women arguing. “That Asian, grandmother has a name, Kwon Ji-yong! He is mine and I don’t ever want to hear a disparaging thing about him cross your lips!” snarled Ridley to her grandmother. 

“Mother Lane, you need to drop this,” Sandra said but the old woman cut her off.

“Ridley you are the heir to one of the wealthiest families in the South and you want to throw your life away on some no name foreigner.”

“Throw. My. Life. Away? On a foreigner? Well isn’t that fucking rich granny.” Her voice was cold, icy cold.

Tommy grinned at Finley and whispered, “Oh the fur is about to fly, the dragon’s loose.” 

“That foreigner is no mutt like us granny, he’s pure Korean, generations of Korean blood. Why the hell would he soil that with what his people would consider a foreigner?”

“I do not answer to that slang name, I am your grandmother, and I will be called grandmother.”

“Oh, bullshit, you borrowed a drop of sperm and carried a baby. As soon as dad was born you all but threw him at a nanny so you could go back to your social calendar. I bet grandpa had to pry your knees apart with a crowbar to get a squirt in.” She laughed and looked her dead in the eye and said it again, “Granny.”

“Ridley!” Sandra said shocked. Each of the guys standing on the other side of the door eyes were wide. 

“I’ve never!”

“That’s too easy but here it goes any way. You had to have tried it at least once. Maybe if you tried it twice you might have liked it and had a better attitude.”

Ji-yong was shocked, no one would talk to an older person in this way in Korea! He was happy that she calls him ‘hers’ but still shocked at the disrespect. Tommy looked at him and whispered, “She fights dirty, always has. She will say something shocking and put her opponents off guard and then go in for the kill.” With the gasp of outrage from the older woman they knew Ridley had made a hit.

Ridley continued, “You would think you would have learned when I put that corporate drone of yours in the hospital. But you didn’t. Let me tell you something about that man you called ‘that Asian’, he is self-made. He made more than what was in my trust fund by the time he was twenty-six. He doesn’t need my money, doesn’t want my social standing, and wants nothing to do with the Lane family! He just came here to find me, to see if I was okay. And let me tell you something else, if it wasn’t for that man I wouldn’t be here. He gave me a reason to fight to live, he gave me courage when I needed it most! He! Not my fucking family who was all crying at my loss when I was still walking around with them!” her voice went low and dangerous, “I will fucking burn this family, the company, and the god damn bay bridge down over him!” 

Ji-yong’s eyes were wide hearing Ridley’s exclamation. Finley tapped him on the shoulder and motioned that they needed to leave. They quickly left making as little noise as possible.

They made it outside and got into Tommy’s SUV, “Ed’s Shack or Wolf’s Bay?” Tommy asked. Ji-yong’s mind was full of questions and anxiety and the urge for food had walked out the door. 

“Let’s do takeout and hit the beach. Ridley’s going to need to cool off before anyone sees her and you know mom’s going to have words with her after that FUBAR.” Finley said as he buckled his seatbelt. Ji-yong was lost in thought in the back seat. She said that she would choose him over her family, would she return to Korea with him if he asked? Question after question plagued him, when Finley asked what he wanted from the takeout window he just mumbled anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I left it hanging, it was almost 4K. Again, hope I don't offend but my grandmother was a real witch. The things she said to me and others growing up are truly cringe worthy. I however was only a little kid and couldn't retaliate. I did however salt her Impatients and pull all the blooms off her prized hibiscus flowers. I didn't have the power to go head to head with that bat but I sure was a sneaky little devil.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving! This is a little filler while I work on the serious stuff over the holiday.

Ch 8   
Ono island in Gulf Shores is a private island where only homeowners can come and go, it helps that there is only one bridge leading on the island and that is monitored twenty four hours by a guard. Ji-yong loves this idea and when they reach the beach house, he likes it as well. A two-story home on piers with a large wooden staircase leading up to the first floor. Two cars are in the drive already and the lights are on in the house. 

When they get upstairs and in the house is it only Dax and Foster. “Where is Sid?” Tommy asked as he walked into the kitchen clutching two bags of fast food.

“He and Delaney are at the movies. He texted for me to let him know what happened. Marriage first, remember.” Foster informed them.

“That is why that noose will never be around my neck.” Dax said and immediately Tommy, and Finley knocked on the closest wooden object which happened to be a butcher block and a cabinet door. Dax’s eyes got wide and he knocked on a cabinet door quickly also. Foster just snorted and shook his head.

Ji-yong looked at him for an answer to their puzzling behavior. “Knock on wood, it’s just superstition. These dorks, especial Dax, is more likely to knock up some secretary or one of the debutants at the country club.”

“Screw you!” “Eat me!” “Hell no!” They all said and knocked on the cabinets one more. 

Ji-yong just laughed at their antics. 

“Okay, what happened at the Grandbitches?” Foster asked and Ji-yong immediately felt uncomfortable again. “Grab a beer and let’s go up on the widows walk.” They each grabbed a beer and headed up the stairs. On the top floor there was a stair leading to the roof, they went up and each grabbed a lounger.

“Ridley and Gran got into it again. This time Rid didn’t let Gran get a word in, she smoked her.” Finley said.

“Yep, Gran made a big mistake, she aimed her venom at Ji-yong and Ridley took her out. And it was the Dragon, man it was vicious.” Tommy said.  
“Worse than what?” 

“If the old bat had balls, let’s just say Ridley would have popped both of them.” Tommy replied referring to the guy Ridley had put in the hospital with a ruptured gonad. Each of the men squirmed uncomfortable with the thought. 

“We were listening through the door. She said she would burn the family, the company, and the bay bridge down.”

“Woah. Seriously!” was Foster’s reply and “Ho lee shit, that’s strait up, serious.” From Dax.

They each looked at Ji-yong. “What?” he said, concerned that they were looking at him.

“In fishing terms you’ve got her hooked, now you need to set it.” Tommy told him. Hooks?

“Fishing metaphors, he means you have her now, but you need to make her realize it.” Finley looked at Tommy and Dax, “Do either of you? Never mind…” he rolled his eyes and looked back at Ji-yong. “Ultimatum time.” Finley said thoughtfully, and the rest nodded in agreement.

“What do I do?” he asked.

“Tell her your leaving and she needs to come with you.” 

///\\\\\

He gets back at ten that night. The lights are on in the kitchen, but Ridley’s bedroom door is open and the bed is untouched. He went through the house looking for her, but it was empty. He looked outside on the patio and she wasn’t there either, then he happened to glance toward the small dock where Ridley tied up her boat. Ridley sat there under the lone light and it looked as if she was smoking!

He went to his room and quickly changed out of the dress slacks and shirt and into a pair of sweats and a long sleeve t-shirt. He was quiet as he could be as he walked that way thinking that he could break the ice with a comment on her smoking but when he got behind her she must have sensed him because she quickly threw the cigarette in the bay. He smiled at her when she looked over her shoulder at him and she grinned a goofy grin back at him and patted the wood beside her. He smelled it when he sat down, what she had been smoking was not a cigarette and most certainly not legal. Ah, he thinks, Ridley and her issue of avoidance with the help of alcohol. Well she used marijuana this time instead of tequila.

She spoke first, “Hey handsome.”

“Ridley, are you okay?” The ultimatum would have to wait until she was sober. 

“Nope, I’m sorry. “She looked lost and spaced out. A thought hit her and her eyes widened for a moment, “I know y’all listened through the door.”

“It was awkward. At home,” he hesitated, “At home, we revere our elders, so I could never do that. I don’t think I could even…”

“I’m so sorry, but she….” Ridley put her weight on her hands behind her and looked up at the night sky, “That old woman, that hateful old woman,” she got silent for a long moment, “she makes me hate myself sometimes and sometimes I just want to explode.”

“Two different worlds.”

“Yep, two different worlds.” They watched a boat in the middle of the bay pass with its lights glowing on the water, neither speaking. “I’m hungry.” He had to laugh.

“You bad girl.” He said with a laugh.

“I want oranges, and a chocolate milkshake, and pizza.”

“That combo is just disgusting.”

“What do you get the munchies for then?”

“I don’t.” He gave her a stern look that stopped that line of questioning. He would never go through another scandal like that again. Just the thought gave him anxiety.

An hour later, six mandarin oranges and half a jar of pickles consumed, Ridley had started to sober up. Ji-yong never wanted to smell the combination again. She would have ordered pizza if he would have let her but by then everything was closed.

A high Ridley sang like a canary once you got her talking. While they were out on the dock he had learned all about Cass and her vibrating gifts, where her diary was located, that she binged watched his videos sometimes at night in her bed when she was sad and depressed. He found it hilarious that Ridley had confessed to a hidden Instagram account where she stalked him, Big Bang, BTS, WayV, NCT, and other K-pop idols. She liked fan art on Deviant art and promised that she never ever never shipped him and TOP but maybe just a little of BTS. At that he wanted to call TOP and put her on the speaker phone instead he steered her toward the house. 

Later that night as he showered, he couldn’t help but laugh at the memory of their conversation. She was funny when she was tipsy, but a high Ridley was a hilarious combination of funny, flirty, and affectionate. When they got back in the house, she went straight for the fruit dish she kept stocked full in the center of her table. It was full of small mandarin oranges. As they sat at the bar and he listen to her talk he snacked on one of the orange fruits while she steadily peeled and ate six of them. It was when she pulled out a jar of dill pickles that she made him squirm as she gripped a large one and proceeded to answer random questions he kept coming up with. Ridley talked with her hands; they were everywhere when she talked about something exciting. Who could concentrate on anything when she was waving around a large pickle like a green phallic toy? He went from amused to turned on when she put the whole thing in her mouth to utilize both hands to estimate the size something, she was telling him about. Those pink lips he thought and groaned again…

He had quickly removed the pickles from where she could get them and moved the conversation to the living room. That is where the affectionate Ridley made an appearance. She at first was on the opposite side of the couch as him, but soon ended up draped across his lap looking up at him grinning and continuing to talk in fast forward. It was there that she confessed that when they had met in Korea, she had thought that he was some sort of Korean mafia because of the tattoos. Either that or he and TOP were hosts from a host club. He lost it laughing at that one. 

Then she pulled him down for a kiss, and they had ended up making out like two randy teens on the couch till he stopped her from going for his pants. He couldn’t do that with an inebriated girl, it was against everything he had been taught. So that is when he got her up and into the shower. He threw some night clothes through the door and after she had dressed, he had quickly put her to bed, alone. 

Which left him in the shower pondering this crazy night. He touched his lips and thought of the kiss, smiling at what she had said. She said he tasted of all things good, sweet, and she never wanted to stop kissing him. The girl had been coming down from a high, but the drug had been like truth serum for her. what ever she thought she said. He wondered if she would remember any of her confessions when she woke in the morning. 

As he dried off and started on skincare he thought of tomorrow and how he would give her his ultimatum. He wanted her for more than just a month away from home. He could see her with lines around her eyes and grey streaks in her hair and he thought that she would be even more beautiful to him after many years than she was to him now. She would give him a lifetime of smiles, quiet conversations, and comfort. A life in which you wanted to wake up from your night dreams because waking was so much better than dreaming.


	9. Chapter 9

When I Saw You

///\\\\\///\\\\\  
Its looking like it may storm at any moment. Thunder rolled in the distance and it reflected his mood. He thought of what Finley had told him last night, “Look you’re going to have to draw a line. It’s a gamble but I’m sure she will cross it. Quit chasing her. Drop it, just tell her tomorrow you are getting on a jet. Tell her to call you if she figures things out.” So, since he didn’t talk to her last night the confrontation had to be this morning. After packing his bags and calling for a car he walked into her office and started a conversation that he wasn’t sure he could win.

“I’ve got to get back to Seoul.” She looked up from the paperwork on her desk in surprise. “Ridley come with me. Come back with me.” He asked and let out a shaky breath. This was the either the beginning of the end or the beginning of a whole new chapter in his life. 

“I can’t do that.” He couldn’t tell what she was feeling.

“Last night you told your grandmother you would burn it all for me. So, light a match and come with me.”

“It was figure of speech; I can’t just leave.”

“Why not? You can you just don’t want to.”

“They will hate me!”

“Who will?”

“Your parents, your country, I’m just some foreigner that caught your interest.”

“I don’t give a damn what people think and normally you don’t either! Where is the girl who went searching for a cure when she refused to accept that there was none?” he almost screamed the question at her. He was so angry, why wasn’t she fighting for him, she said she would when she argued last night with her grandmother.

She puts her hands in her hair almost like she wants to yank it all out and looks at him with crazed eyes. “I was terrified! I was told I was going to die at 24 so I ran away! I ran away! I didn’t know I would find help I just didn’t want to die so I ran and kept running! After a while I just started talking to people because I was alone.” Her face is red, and tears are now falling, and she almost is hysterical. He wants to hold her, but he also wants to punch the wall. “And the people I talked to kept telling me to try this or go to that place. I wasn’t supposed to find a cure, I wasn’t supposed to make it. But then I met you in the museum and I knew I didn’t want to go without experiencing life. You gave me a love story; a tragic K-drama where boy meets girl, they fall in love and she dies leaving him a pleasant memory! I wasn’t supposed to live, and you were supposed to forget me!”

“I love you damn it! I fell in love with her two years ago, and I’m in love with you! How the hell can you just let that go!” His arms are waving, he is pacing, he is so frustrated! “Fuck it! Ridley I’m getting on that plane in a couple of hours. I’m leaving Ridley, and if you think love can be discarded because you’re scared then you are not that girl I fell in love with. Make up your mind! You know where I will be!” His blood was pumping, and he was mad as hell. He walked out of her office and went downstairs to his room. He grabbed his suitcase along with his travel bag. When he walked back in the main room she wasn’t there. His heart dropped as he walked toward the door and to the car outside. 

Any minute, he thought, any minute now she will come out of the house and stop him as he headed out the door, but she didn’t. She didn’t stop him or rush out the door. The driver loaded his bags in limo, and she didn’t come running out the door to stop him. As the car drove down the oak covered drive on its way to the main road, he thought about what Finley had said. He said that he doubted she would let him get out the door. His heart hammered as they drove down the driveway, then on to the main road, and finial onto the interstate. He wanted to cry, but he maned up.

They went over the bay way, then through the tunnel, but no calls came into his cell. She didn’t stop him, she didn’t call. 

//////

Finley picked up his phone and looks at the number calling, it’s Ridley. Ji-yong was following through and leaving today. Well, he thought, time for a little tough love. “Hey sis, what going?”

He heard her sniffing and silence. “Ridley are you ok?”

“Ji-yongs leaving.” 

“And?”

“He’s leaving me!”

“No Ridley you’re letting him go.” 

“I don’t want him to go, I want him to stay!” she cried.

“Sis, think, who is planning on opening a branch in Asia?”

“LaneCorp.”

“Ridley as vice president of the company I am offering you the COO job, will you take it?”

“Finley?”

“Will you take the job? I’m giving it to Jeremy if you won’t. But think for a minute for me okay. Remember what Grandpa Lane use to tell us when we were small, that John Wayne quote?”

Sniff, “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” She recited from memory.

“Well sis, saddle up and go get your Korean.”

All she said was “Yippie-ki-yay motherfucker,” and hung up. She was so eager to get to Ji-yong she ran out the door without her cell phone. She didn’t realize this till she was on the Bayway. 

////////

Kwon Ji-yong was angry that she didn’t stop him, and he questioned himself, questioning all they had. Rain and wind lashed at the car reflecting his dark mood. If he had looked back, he would see a white car chasing the limo. Everyone seems to get in its way, brakes kept being applied and you can tell that the driver was getting reckless.

At the airport, his driver stopped at the curb, he stayed put till his bags were out on the curb then the driver opened his door. Now it’s a matter of pride, he thought. There is a time when you must call the chase over and take what was left of your pride and go, he stiffened his back and got ready to get out of the car. The torrential downpour was still going strong outside with thunder rumbling. With his luck they probably will cancel the flight out and he would be stuck here, and with this heartbreak, he never wanted to see this place again. This storm matched his mood; he can feel himself slipping into his dark place again. The guys should be rested up now and ready to get back into the studio, break is over, it’s time to get back to work. That will keep him busy and take his mind away from Ridley. 

The driver opened his door and he slid out and onto the curb. The rain was now coming in strong and at an angle and a mist was hitting him even under the protection of the overhead canopy. He kept his head down and started for the airport doors.

In the distance he could hear a woman scream but he paid no attention and kept walking steady toward the door. Then he heard her, “Stop! Please Ji-yong stop!” It’s Ridley! 

He turned and seeing her his eyes went wide at her appearance. She came running from the parking lot through parked cars and across the entrance ramp in the torrential rain. The girl was soaked. Hair dripping, makeup running, and her white shirt transparent showing a miniscule demi bra for everyone to see. She was a wreck.

“Oh please, please stop.” She whispered breathless as she reached him. She looked up at him, pale, eyes running from tears and rain dripping from her hair. She was a mess.

He immediately dropped his messenger bag and quickly removing his coat and placed it around her sodden shoulders covering her from other eyes. “No, I’ll ruin it,” she protested. 

“It’s just a jacket, I’ll buy a new one.” he looked her in the eye. “Why are you here Ridley?” He asked firm, his tone not friendly. 

She just broke, “For you! Kwon Ji-yong, for you! I was told all my life to that I needed find someone like me. I never found that person until now. I found you and no matter what anyone says you ARE like me. Creative, arrogant as hell, free spirited, open to life, you do things the way you want and damn anyone who gets in your way!” her breath caught then she continued, “And I can’t live without you. I did it for two years, and I don’t want to do that again. I don’t think I ever want to live without you again.” Her eyes looked up at him begging, scared for what he would say. “The ball is in your court now. Does the offer still stand for me to come with you? If not, get on that plane find some nice little Korean girl your mom will adore and settle for life. I’ll survive, I’ve survived worse. It’ll hurt but I’ll survive. Or you can give me a day or two to let me get things strait here and I will go home to Seoul with you. So, you choose.” Her tough act would have been more convincing if her voice didn’t shake with emotion, and the tears that had started falling again.

“You, I choose you.” And then kissed her. They heard cheering and looked up to see a group of travelers watching them all grinning at the scene being played out.

She pulled back laughing. “Good thing you changed your mind, I was going to have one of my cop friends arrest you on a trumped-up charge to keep you here. You are too good to lose”

“You, arrogant, sneaky woman!” he looked down at her and grinned a gummy smile.

“Takes one to know one bud. Now kiss me again and let’s go home.”

///\\\\\///\\\\\

“You know, from what I read in my diary; you didn’t do that when we were together before.” Ridley mumbled sleepily cuddling into his left side. She was drowsy and languid, slowing slipping into a post coital nap. He was smoking, the only time she had ever given him permission to smoke in her house. She was never going to get the stench out of her room but now at this moment she could have cared less.

He looked down at the nude woman wrapped around him and grinned a lecherous grin that was best not seen. “Well you were a virgin; you just don’t do that with virgins.” He murmured and placed a kiss on the top of her head. He took another drag off the cigarette and tapped the ash into a half-filled water glass sitting on the nightstand to his right. “But I would have if you had stuck around.” 

She burrowed deeper into his shoulder mumbling a sleepy “sorry”. 

“I didn’t want to scare you, a sweet little virgin, with all my tricks at once.” He continued playfully all the while slowly toeing the sheet down with his foot carefully so he could uncover the delicious swell of her naked ass.

She out rite laughed and leaning up to look at him asked. “Want to know a secret?” he raised an eyebrow and took another drag and nodded. “Yes, I may have been a virgin. But thanks to my pervy brother and his friends and the many situations I’ve walked in on with them and the many girls that they have dated, nothing would have shocked me sweetheart.”

He took one more drag then blowing the smoke away from her slowly leaned over and dropped the half-smoked cigarette in the glass. Quickly rolling them so he was cradled between her legs, look down at her asked. “Nothing?” He asked, his sharp eyes were laughing but his face was so serious.

“Nothing.” She replied.

“You’re sure about that?” He said and gave her a very lascivious grin. “Want to place a wager?”

///\\\\\///\\\\\

Ji-yong clicked the light off in the bathroom and climbed back into bed with her. He pulled her to him, spooning her naked body into his. He started nuzzling the back of her neck only for her to beg, “You won, you won!” she said hoarsely. “No more, please. I think what we did is still on the books in Alabama as illegal.” She mumbled into her pillow.

“I won?”

“Yes.”

“I won so you have to do something for me, that was what we agreed to, yes?”

“Um hmm,” another sleepy acknowledgement.

“Okay, marry me?”

“Um hmm,” she agreed.

“Ridley, did you just say yes?” He asked eagerly. Instead of replying she rolled over till she was facing him. Looking him in the eye she nodded and blushed. 

She leaned into him and kissed him in quick pecks, “Yes,” kiss, “yes,” kiss, “yes,” kiss. I will marry you.” 

He just laughed happily.

“But,” She said seriously, and his smile started to fail, “I’ve got to take note for the future though, no sex bets. You’ve stacked the deck and are always going to win.” He just laughed and pulled her leg over his hip and began to ravish her once more. “And you get to make excuses to everyone why I can’t walk tomorrow.”

///\\\\\///

“It’s three in the morning, this had better be an emergency.” Choi Seunghyun says half asleep.

“I’m getting married.” That woke him up.

“Fuck, really?”

“I need you here in ten days. Can you do it and drag the rest of them with you without telling them the reason why?

“Surprise road trip. Anyone else I need to bring?”

“I’ll let you know. Bring a suit, grey, conservative.”

“Will do. See you soon.” 

He hangs up then picks up the phone again to make the next call, after a moment it connects. “Dami.”

////

“Cass, hey.” She was cut off before she could say another word.

“I’ve got a Westwood and a Givenchy. I’ve been hoarding them since I came back. I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon for you to choose and to start the fittings.”

“You’re kidding me. You got that from me saying ‘hey Cass’?”

“Girl, you sound like a very satisfied woman, and I knew he didn’t come all the way here just for a touch and go.”


	10. When I Saw You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it. I do have a compilation of what was supposed to be their life in SK that I will tack on as an epilogue. Eric Nam is from Georgia and lives in SK. He is an amazing singer (Love Die Young) and all-around nice guy. He has a great podcast, K-pop Daebak w/ Eric Nam go look for it. He also interviews visiting celebrities for some of the Korean TV shows you can see those on YouTube if you are interested. If you are into K-pop and like podcast go listen to Soju Talk, I get all my new music info from them.

Chapter Seoul, South Korea, May 2020

When I Saw You 

Only four reporters have gathered as two jet black planes land in the area for visiting dignitaries at Incheon airport. This is a boring assignment just an interest piece on foreign investors bringing in potential new jobs for South Korea. But there have been rumors, one from Moon’s office even. Something big is going down. Both planes have a large Lane Corp logo on the tail. They wait patiently as customs agents board the planes and start the process of entry into the country. A couple of men who look like bodyguards are the first to debark and stand at the foot of the smaller planes’ stairs. Thirty minutes pass in the heat and the camera men wait patiently occasionally snapping pictures of a few of the well-dressed older men and women as they step down the larger jet’s stairs. The larger of the plane looks like it contains executives and staff. The last of the executives come down the ramp and are loaded into vans to take them to the next phase of customs. The second smaller plane sits with no movement from the customs agents on board or the bodyguards at the base of the ramp. 

Thirty minutes later the custom agents on the smaller plane finally leave and unlike the other agents they seem excited as they chatter to each other and show each other pictures on their phones. This perks up the camera men as there may be someone buzz worthy on the plane. A black Lamborghini Urus SUV pulls up with two other black nondescript SUV’s behind it. The driver’s side opens and a tall very solid Korean woman in a matching black suit and high ponytail steps out. She approaches the tall bodyguard with the buzz cut in black suit. She bows to the other guard and they confer for a moment. He speaks into a mike attachment and there is movement at the door of the plane. They start clicking the lenses on the camera as a young man appears in the door. He is wearing cut up black jeans with a white button up of very fine quality. The sleeves are unbuttoned and flap carelessly and a smart black leather messenger bag with a huge daisy and a haphazard mass of pins hangs from one shoulder. At the top of the stairs he stops and surveys the area looking like a king surveying his domain. The bored camera men come to attention when they spy the young man. It would be hard to miss that well known face. But why is G-Dragon flying on a LaneCorp private jet? They know that the shots they have are gold and there must be a very good story behind his appearance.

They watch as G-dragon turns back to the door of the aircraft as a woman appears. She is shorter than him and is dressed in a tight black pencil skirt with a flowy white blouse and red Louboutin pumps. She is blonde and tiny with her hair in a loose chignon. He reaches out for her hand and as she grabs his he pulls her to him for a kiss. The cameras should be smoking as fast as the shutters are clicking. Another photographer is talking on his cell with one hand and the other never leaving the button of his camera. “Get down here now! G-Dragon is with the Lane heiress.”

///\\\\\///\\\\\

“In the latest news South Labs, a medical subsidiary of LaneCorp, based in the Southern United States, has executives in Seoul this week. According to company reps they are here to invest in Asia’s medical technology and bringing new tech into American hospitals and households. There are rumors that the company will choose between South Korea or Japan as their base of operations in Asia. Hold on,” the reporter puts a hand to her ear speaker and her eyes widen she looks excitedly into the camera. “Oh my.” She exclaimed, “It has been confirmed by his agency that Kwon Ji Yong, G-Dragon of the band Big Bang has married Ridley Lane, COO of South Labs, LaneCorps Pharmaceutical division, three weeks ago in a private ceremony at her family’s home. There is no information yet as to how the couple met…

///\\\\\///\\\\\

The view is from a phone screen. It shows a long hallway with warm lighting on white walls and modern art hanging in random clusters. The phone is turned and Kwon Ji-yong puts his finger in front of his lips to signify that he is keeping quiet and sneaking a video. His smile is wide, and he looks happy. There is music coming from the next room. It’s in English, someone is singing about a sunrise. The music sounds like old Hall and Oats. A cat meows at his feet and he pans the camera down for a moment to give the viewer a glimpse of the cat then rises back up to continue his quest down the hall.

He enters a kitchen, it’s large with the latest appliances and kitchen gadgets peppering the white counter tops. Ridley has her back to him; she’s dressed in yoga pants and a cropped t shirt. Her hair is in a messy bun and she is singing and dancing as she preps peppers on a cutting board. She so completely engrossed in what she is working on that she never notices Ji-yong enter and place the phone down propped up, so it will still record. He slowly walks toward his wife and she giggles as he encircles her in his arms. 

“What are you making baby?” he asks and kisses her neck. 

“Um, I’m prepping peppers for spaghetti sauce. I had fun in the market today. I found so much fresh veg and I kind of went nuts and bought anything that inspired me. So, I’m prepping for the freezer anything that I can’t use at this moment. “

He continues to kiss and nuzzle her neck. Never removing his face from her neck, he slides his hand down her arm to the knife and removes it from her hand and places it on the chopping board.

“What are you doing?” She asks with a giggle and a catch of breath as he hits the sweet spot behind her ear.

“Honeymooning” he turns her around and picks her up and carries her bridal style from the room, the camera keeps filming an empty room.

///\\\\\///\\\\\

“I can’t believe you talked me into this. I’m a behind the scenes type, not an in your face look at me roar type.” Ridley Lane Kwon said as she paced the green room of MBC’s Section TV Entertainment News studio. Kwon Ji-yong reclined in a chair checking his Twitter and Instagram feeds. He’s trending of course. Looking up at his nervous wife of only two months he smiled.

“Calm down, you face board rooms filled with people who will slit your throat over a deal every day, this is easy compared to that.” His wife was beautiful, dressed in cream slacks with a red silk top and heels with her blonde hair over one shoulder, too bad the interview was fifteen minutes from now. He had a few thoughts on relieving her of some of that tension. Ah honeymooning was the best part of being married. “Any way I only agreed to this if Eric Nam was the interviewer. He is from the States and a fellow Southerner like you.”

“Oh, wow, where is he from?”

“Atlanta Georgia, I think.” Ridley sat down in the chair beside him finally calming down.

“Oh, I love Atlanta, we used to do a girls weekend there with the aunts and mom. I’m not big on the shopping part but I would skip over to Six flags if it were open and destress on the roller coasters. Go to Coke, find a pre-war cemetery, or go find a museum.”

“I still do not understand your fascination with cemeteries.”

“It’s the dates and time. We are just here for a moment you know. And I was almost here for just a nano second. I think I want a tattoo now. I want that Dr Who quote ‘We are all just stories in the end.’ 

“Are you sure about that?” Ji-yong asked, he was used to her nervous rambling by now. It was strange, in the boardroom she was all business. Fierce, his counterpart, the female dragon but she got stressed by the strangest things. New people her age, plane rides terrified her, and interviews with reporters. Usually he would just kiss her senseless, but they were to film in less than ten minutes, and it wouldn’t be good to mess up her makeup. A knock sounded at the door; it was an aid to tell them that they were ready for them on the set. He watched her eyes widen, so he stood and went to her side and pulled her into his arms. “Shh, it’s going to be fine. Eric will seem like one of those guys you grew up with, he is very friendly.” She nodded. They followed the young woman out to the set.

The lights in the studio are hot. Eric Nam is seated on the stage awaiting them, it’s a simple set up three chairs a little table in front holding drinks and a curtained background. The techs quickly seat them and hook tiny mics to their clothing. Eric did a quick bow to her and Ji-yong and they repeated the gesture. He smiled over at Ridley and asked, “Still adjusting Ridley?” and gave her the sweetest smile. He looked sixteen and had no accent that she could tell. 

She couldn’t help but laugh, “Not as fast as I would like. How long did it take you?”

“Years, but then you start going back and forwards between the two cultures and that really gets confusing.” He was distracted a moment by the stage director but soon he was back talking and reassuring Ridley, “Are you ready for this?” with her tentative nod he said, “Don’t worry, I won’t’ ask anything intrusive, this isn’t American TV. We keep everything family friendly.”

“You’re going to do fine,” Ji-yong reassured her and squeezed her hand. “If you stop at any time I will quickly answer so don’t worry.”

A voice from behind the lights started a count down and it began.

Eric starts the interview with the standard, “How are you both today?” looking at each expectantly. 

Okay they can edit any goofs I make Ridley thinks while giving herself an internal pep talk. ‘I’ve got this’ and answers with a blushing, “Very well thank you.” And her ever professional husband who has probably done of a million or so of these things chimes in effortlessly with, “Good, Good, very, very good.” 

They look at each other and smile. She giggles nervously. Eric looks at them and grins. “So, when did this start.” He motions to the two of them. “When did you two get together?”

Ji-yong answers, “Here in Seoul, in 2017 at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. I was with TOP viewing a new exhibit. We spotted a little blonde alone across the room and I was the only one brave enough to say hi.”

“It was a pickup if there ever was one.” Ridley jokes and Ji-yong nods with a grin.

“What did he say? Did he use a standard pick up line?” Eric says laughing.

“No, he was crafty, he started with something about the art piece I was looking at. I think his first words to me was, “blue boxes?” I was looking at this painting of little blue houses with a dog splashed dead center. Internally I was in a panic and trying to figure out what to do next because my interpreter and guide had to leave for an emergency, and I was there by myself and I could only say please and thank you in Korean. I was so happy to hear English I could have cried.”

“I told her I would give her directions for coffee.” Everyone laughs.

“Did you know who he was?” Eric asks.

Ridley smirked and replied, “No, I didn’t listen to K-pop at all, and I’ve never been glued to TV or Social Media. My music growing up was American pop on the radio. I was very sheltered and only interested in getting out of school and into the family business.”

“What were you doing in South Korea, were you here on vacation?” This question erases the smile from her face, and she looks to Ji-yong who takes her hand and gives it a squeeze and nods for her to go ahead.

“Actually, I had received some very bad news from my doctor and I just dropped everything and ran. I left everything, my family, my friends, my schooling. I just dropped it and ran.” Her face is pale now and Eric looks uncomfortable when he asks the next question.

“Cancer?”

“No. I had an unruptured brain aneurism and was told that I could die at any moment.” Her eyes start to tear up and Ji-yong pulls her into a hug, her face is in his chest and he whispers something to her that the mic doesn’t pick up. Pulling back, she nods and sits back up. Clearing her throat, she continued, “I didn’t want my family to see me die.”

Eric gasps and looks so sad, “The issue is resolved now I hope?”

She gives him a beaming smile, “Yes, Kwon Ji-yong and South Korea saved my life. I owe them both so much.” She looks at her husband and you can almost see hearts float in the air between them.

Eric looks over at Ji-yong, “Ji-yong, did you know she was sick?”

He shakes his head, “No I only found out when we met again.”

“Wow, that’s amazing and I’m sure quite a story.”

Ji-yong laughs, “It’s a K-drama,” he pulls away from Ridley as she playfully nudges his arm.

Getting back to the interview Eric asks, “How long did you date? You kept it well hidden from the public. There was never a photo of you two.”

Ji-yong answers, “We were only together a month. I was working and seeing her when I could. We would talk every night.”

“While he was working, I was visiting doctors and telling him that I was going to spas and touring the city.” 

Eric takes that thread, “So you found a doctor?”

“Yes, I found an amazing doctor at Seoul National University Hospital. The facility and their research’s just ground- breaking. I highly respect them, and I owe them my life.”

“So, you two have been together since?”

“No, we parted ways after a month. I was working all the time and preparing to go into the military. We both agreed from the beginning that this was temporary, no strings attached. But we did promise to find each other when we were old and grey and reminisce about our time together.”

Ridley continued, “I didn’t want to get attached. I didn’t want to hurt anyone else. I know now it was stupid to think that way, but I was an emotional wreck. But that day,’ looks at Ji-yong and continues, “that day at the museum, I met this sweet Korean boy and I thought I’m going to live. Even if it is only the short while I’m allotted, I’m going to experience life. I wanted to see what I had been missing.

“Missing?”

“Oh yes, I was so sheltered. I had gone on a few dates, very nice boys who knew my family. My family approved of them before I even walked out the door. I was never interested in any of them. They were so cookie cutter.”

“Cookie cutter? How?”

“American, upper class, future corporate leaders. They matched my life to a tee. Boring. I had pecks on the cheek at the door. They were so scared of upsetting my family in any way. I was just an extension of LaneCorp with a nice benefit package. Ji-yong was actually my first real knock your socks off kiss.” She looks in his eyes and has a soft smile, “My first and only bad boy. I was hooked.”

Eric looked over at Ji-yong, “Ji-yong, did you know who she was?”

“No, I didn’t have a clue. She spent money like it was no object, so I assumed she was a trust fund rich kid. I didn’t ask. We both were hiding our other lives.”

“Wow. So, each of you had no clue who the other was and you were together a month. Why did you part ways?”

“I fell in love. It scared me. Now I had someone else to hurt with my passing. I also had found a doctor who thought she could help me and was willing to operate. There was no guarantee that I would make it though. It was time to go so I just ran again.”

“She left me a note on my pillow.” 

Eric’s jaw dropped for a moment, but he caught himself and took the opening. “On your pillow? How did that make you feel?”

“Honestly, I didn’t know I was in love with her, but there was something, you know. I was angry and hurt but I had so many distractions in my life. I threw myself into work, time was getting short. TOP was already in the military. I was busy and going through my own crisis. But, she or at least the thought of her got me through the military. She was on my mind the whole time. About half- way I decided that I was going to find her once I got out.”

“Ridley, while you were dating did you ever meet his band mates?”

Ridley and Ji-yong look at each other and share a grin. “She met TOP first the night we met.” Ji-yong answers.

Ji-yong grins and looks at Ridley who blushes, “I kind of sort of insulted him by calling him a cookie monster. The blue hair…” She hides her face behind Ji-yong-s shoulder.

“Oh no, you didn’t,” Eric laughs. Growing up stateside he knows of Sesame Street and Cookie Monster.

She raised both hands outward in supplication, “I didn’t mean too, it was just the blue hair and those eyebrows. It’s a funny joke now that he forgave me.”

“I bet. What about the others? Did you meet them?”

“Yes, on one date he took me to meet his best friends.” She leans over and gives Ji-yong a kiss on the cheek and he hides the blush behind his hand. “He took me to Karaoke with what I know now is professional singers.” Eric laughs heartily at that. “They were doing their own solo songs and laughing at me because I didn’t know what was going on and what they were doing.” 

Eric looks over at Ji-yong and asks, “How did she do?”

“Very well, she can hold her own. She sings at her church in the States so she can handle a mic.”

“He’s being nice, they made me rap, I hate rap.”

Ji-yong and Eric laugh at that. “So, what did you think of his band mates?”

“That is a loaded question. They reminded me of my brother and his friends. TOP is a riot on a good day, but one on one he is intensely funny. Dae, I remember thinking that that kids voice was a power- house and he was so very very sweet. He sang Baby Don’t Cry and almost brought me to tears. I didn’t understand anything but the English parts, but I begged him to sing it again. Tae, I thought he could make angels weep in every way and then he sang Eyes, Nose, Lips, it was just Karaoke almost acapella really, with no autotune but it was amazing. I also remember thinking that someone should buy him something that fit a little better because his clothes were so tight that I feared for his future children. And then with Seuguri, he was like a naughty little brother, needy for attention. I think he will always be a naughty little brother.

“What did they think of her?”

“Dae thought she was sweet. Top thought she was funny. Tae thought she was innocent and made me promise not to hurt her. Seungri thought she was a babe.”

“So, let’s skip ahead. Ji-yong you were in the military dreaming about her and what were you doing Ridley?”

“Well I was busy with doctors and my family and trying to figure out the guy I met. And most importantly, I found out who he really was the very day I left Korea.”

“That wasn’t the reason you left was it?” 

“No, again, I was in love and scared so I was running away. But I was at the airport bookstore looking for something to read on my flight and that’s when I saw him.” Eric looks over at Ji-yong who ducks his head and covers his eyes with his hand, but everyone can see the grin on his face. “I walk by this magazine stand and spot my boyfriend on the cover of some teen magazine! I was in shock as I picked it up. I was standing there going, yep that’s his eyes, yep that’s his tats, oh my God! I bought it and everything else there was with Big Bang and G-dragon in the store. I think the cashier thought I was some crazy fangirl. I freaked out all the way home. I even went to the rest room and screamed like a lunatic. I think they thought I was nuts.” The guys laugh at that. “It got worse when I got home and found him on YouTube. His stage persona was Jekyll and Hyde.” 

“So, what did you think of G-Dragon at first view?”

“He frightened me. That was not the guy I fell in love with.” Her face is scrunched up in mock horror, “I met a bad boy in blue jeans, a normal guy! GD on the other hand, was a fearless devil out to raise hell and seduce sweet little girls. I was depressed thinking that he played me. The more I thought about it and our situation I discarded that scenario. In the end I romanticized it as we were just two lonely souls finding each other and parting ways. As you can tell by then I had seen a few K-Dramas.”

Eric continues on, “So back to what happened next, you’re at home, you know about him, and you’re preparing for an operation. What next?”

“It wasn’t good, I was told I could die on the table, I could end up a vegetable, or may forget my past.”

Eric’s eyes go wide, and he leans forward, “What happened?”

“I started preparing for the worst-case scenario. I made videos of who I was and the things I wanted to remember. I made videos of Ji-yong and who he was. I had copious notes so if I woke up, I could find whatever info I had lost. I also had my will made. I was prepared. Going back and looking at it now is heartbreaking. And I’m glad I forgot that part.”

“What was the outcome?”

“Not good, I lost six months or so of my memories. I woke up knowing my family and my friends but didn’t know why I was in the hospital. I thought I had been in a car crash. It wasn’t until I got home that I started to fill myself in on what I had lost. I was in the hospital for some time so my mother had found my will and was wondering who Kwon Ji-yong was.” She looks over at Ji-yong regretfully, “I forgot Ji-yong and everything we had had.”

Eric surprised, “You left him something in your will?”

“Yep, I left him my computer with all my memories and half my trust fund.” Eric’s eyebrows went to his hairline, “I felt I owed him so much. He was the time of my life and I was so happy and thankful for that month. He packed a lifetime of romance in just a short time. There was nothing that I could have done to repay him.” She looks over at him smiling and he is looking at her in the same way. It’s the image of love. 

Eric clears his throat to get their attention back on the interview. “I’m familiar with LaneCorp from home, if you don’t mind me being nosy, how much?”

She just laughs, “All I will say is that he was going to be extremely shocked if I didn’t make it. My mom was shocked too.” Ji-yong slides down in the chair and hides his face with both hands now. “She read my diary.”

Eric, “Oh no! I take it that her doing that wasn’t good?”

Ji-yong pipes up from behind both hands hiding his face, “She didn’t leave anything out! She wrote everything down.” 

Ridley grins, “I’m not going there.”

To which Ji-yong replies muffled by his hands covering his face, “Well I did! Go there, that is. And your mom read all about it! I’m still mortified.”

“You both are funny together.”

Ridley grins, “Yes he makes me happy. But just so you know, mom loves him.”

Ji-yong scoots back up in the chair and smiles at Ridley, “She scares me, no I’m kidding. She’s a very lovely woman. She is partially why we are together now.” 

Eric grins and gets back to the interview, “OK, so you forgot him after the operation what happened to get you together? Did her mother contact you?”

“No, I just couldn’t keep her out of my mind. After I was released, I took a break and hung out with TOP and my family. I started working again but I just couldn’t get into anything. She was always there in the back of my mind. I stayed distracted and unproductive so TOP said go find her and resolve this so I could work again.”

Eric looks over at Ridley waiting for her reply, “To me he was a diary entry or something like a novel I read. I had completely forgotten him. I mean I watched the videos, but something was missing. I felt emotionless. Time went by and I got back into my world, finished my education, built a house. I was now working for the family company and doing charity work. I was also hanging out more with my brother and his friends. My personality had changed a little. Finley, my brother is an adrenaline junky and I kept up with him. I sky dived, took martial arts, raced cars. I hung with my brother and the guys and whatever they did I did. I wouldn’t date, I tried but I wasn’t interested in anyone. I was just existing on caffeine and adrenaline and used all the new experiences and work to fill a hole in my life that just couldn’t be filled.” She looks over at Ji-yong, “I was missing him and didn’t know it.”

“So, what happened?”

“I knocked on her parent’s door and met her mom. She knew everything about me and told me all she knew. I still think she is a spy of some sort.” 

Ridley laughs, shaking her head.

“She gave him the corporate mom and CEO treatment. Scare the hell out of you and then get you to do what she wants. She used that on us as kids.”

“What did she want?”

“To bring me back.” Ridley answers quickly, “She wanted me happy again and I think she was a month or so from dropping everything and going to South Korea to find him herself and drag him home to me.”

“She had me move into Ridley’s house so we were never apart and then suspended her a month from work so she could show me around. She forced her to do something besides work and exist.”

“Did it take a month for you to get back together?”

“No, not really. I guess it was like muscle memory. It was tentative at the beginning, but we just clicked back together like Legos.”

“Ridley, so you are the COO for your family business in Asia. You have a Harvard MBA. G-Dragon you are a K-pop legend, singer song-writer, record producer, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and fashion designer. It boggles the mind. How can two people so different can mesh their lives together.”

Ridley looks over at Ji-yong and asks, “You or me?” He nods for her to proceed. “We are both a lot alike. More so than you would think. We are both hard working driven individuals. We love what we do. He puts his feelings into music, and you will experience every emotion he has, he is just that good at what he does. He is so creative with his clothing line and shoes. He is so artistic he vibrates with the need to get everything out. I on the other hand love business. Like music is in Ji-yong’s blood, business is in mine. It’s exciting to build business relationships, watch something start from close to nothing and bloom into something that will change the world. He creates music and I create jobs.”

“So how is Korea treating you? Is there Culture shock?”

She answers quick to that. “It’s a shock. I’m used to laid back, slow Southern culture.” Eric nods knowingly, “LaneCorp is a global business but we are deliberately based in a small city and our homes are out of the city and as far from the business as we can get. So, for me living in a city this large, it’s hard to get used to, it even seems more hectic than New York sometimes. Anyway, the apron strings have been cut so to speak.”

Ji-yong looks at her curiously, “Apron strings?”

Ridley looks over at Eric, “See what I mean,” Looking back at Ji-yong she explains, “No mom and dad or family to run too. You grow up and leave home for good. See different cultural references”  
.   
“Ridley, that leads back to the differences. How are you handling that?”

“It’s not easy and I don’t think I will ever get it all. Ji-yong is teaching me but most days things fly completely over my head. You’d have to be born here to get it. When people bow, I feel like I should curtsey but I’m learning. And when it comes to the language, the formal and informal. I’m still learning so it’s best that I speak strictly with the formal, so I don’t upset anyone. Our home is a mix of Korean and English, with a singsong mash up of both. And he helps so much, he is a good teacher.”

“So, you are learning Korean?”

“The language lessons are coming along. It’s like high school all over again. This is my home, so I hope to be proficient soon enough to speak comfortably with his family and our friends. I also have a wonderful assistant at work that guides me along the correct path, I’m very thankful for her.”

Ji-yong watches her proudly and says, “She is doing well. It’s complicated I know but we are working on it. The language differences sometimes are funny. She gets distracted easy” Ridley is blushing and hiding her face. “Ha, look at her blush.”

Eric grins, “What’s this?”

“Bit of a language um, thing.” She looks over at Ji-yong who is now blushing and with a grin says, “Well boyo, don’t look shocked, you brought it up.”

Eric’s eyes widen and he quickly changes the subject. “Let’s talk about the difference in Korea and America. What is your favorite food? American and Korean.”

“I miss my brothers brownies.” Ji-yong snorts, and Ridley answers, “He’s laughing because that is all my brother can cook and he has promised to make them every time I come home.” Ji-yong only snorts again. “As to Korean, I’m slowly learning the cuisine. I love the street food. I hired a cook to teach me the local dishes so I’m working on it. I make pajeon last night all by myself, so I’m thrilled with that. I grew up on Southern and Creole cooking, so I cook my version of comfort food at least twice a week.”

“I’m getting fat eating all the time.” Ji-yong says and she playfully kisses him on the shoulder.

“Ridley, so do you like K-pop now?” She nods eagerly and laughs at Ji-yong when he starts shaking his head motioning for Eric not to go there.

“So, what do you listen to? What is on your Spotify?” Eric continues with a grin.

“A whole lot of BTS.” She laughs softly and says to Ji-yong, “There is Big Bang on there too Mr. Jealous.” He just shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “I also love IKON, hmm LAY, and ADOY is an addiction of mine. I listen to a lot of guy groups, not many girls. Winner, WayV, TXT.

Is there a special Bias?”

“The guy sitting to my side.” She smiles and rolls her eyes when Ji-yong raises his eyebrows at her. She puts the fingers of one hand in front of her eye and mouths “V” and winks at the camera. 

She giggles when Ji-yong pokes her in the ribs and says “Yah!”

Eric shakes his head, “BTS? Really?”

“Yes really! The music is amazing. They are adorable and so funny,” she turns to Ji-yong. “I want a puppy, something as cute and funny as the BTS maknae line.” Eric laughs and her husband just shakes his head.

“Let’s change the subject with that. The wedding of the year in Korea and no one knew about it. Care to share some details?”

“We were married at my family home in Fairhope. The ceremony was under the oak trees with the bay as our backdrop. It was very romantic and intimate with just our family and friends there with us.”

Ji-yong adds, “It was kept secret from everyone that wasn’t there until it was time to come home to Korea. We plan to have something here, maybe just a reception for friends and family that couldn’t be with us.”

“Where did you honeymoon?”

“A week on a private island in the Caribbean and then Paris of course. She wanted to show me the Caribbean and I had to show her all the romantic sights in Paris along with shopping. We shopped for her trousseau. She is not fond of shopping.”

“He shopped for the trousseau; I hate shopping.” Ridley confessed, “I’ve always depended on stylist to keep me up to date and fashionable. Now I have Ji-yong as my fashion guru. So, if you see me in something wild it’s his fault.”

“So how is married life?”

Ridley grins, “Perfect! I love everything about it.”

“I love honey mooning.” JI-yong quips and Ridley pokes him in the ribs. “Yah! Stop poking woman.” Then he kisses her hand and gives her a playful smile.

“Before we close this interview, I always ask my foreign guest if they can speak any Korean? So how about it Ridley, what have you learned in Korean so far?” Eric asks and leans forward, so he won’t miss anything.

“I’ve learned my most favorite word in the world,” she looks at Ji-yong, “Saranghae.”

FIN 끝 Kkeut (I think, if that isn’t correct blame it on Google)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's over. I had a blast doing this story and I hope you liked it. The following is my almost continuation of Ridley and Jiyong’s life back in Seoul. I just didn’t have enough material to connect all the dots for a good story line. I am partial to clips 4 & 5 myself. Hope you like them. Remember reviews curl my toes with happiness so give me some feedback.

Life in Seoul

Out take one   
Seoul SK – HOUSE PARTY  
Jalousie

The party went from small to large and overflowing quickly after midnight. Ridley was not in her comfort zone. But this was business, Ji-yong’s business and she would do anything for her husband including putting up with what seemed like a dozen or more nouveau riche music industry names and a hundred or more of their hangers on. Mostly she clung to Ji-yong or hung with one of her guys while he was mingling, but there were times when she had to step away. She walked up the stairs to the top floor bedroom which she had made a point to lock. She spent twenty minutes more after doing her business to just stare out the window at the party overflowing into their back yard. It was nearly two so maybe this would be over soon. She hoped. 

As she locked her room a voice beside her startled her. “You’re just a temporary piece of ass you know, foreign trash.” A beautiful girl said from behind her. Ridley giggled and turned, which had the other girl looking at her in confusion. Oh, finally something to play with, Ridley thought. Everyone was just too tame, and people walked on eggshells around her. They hesitated to say anything to G-Dragons wife. She wondered how many drinks the girl had to give her the courage to confront Ridley. Oh, this was going to be such fun, she missed sinking her teeth into jealous bitches and sharpening her claws on their battered remains.

Ridley smiled at the girl. They were on the landing in full view of the crowd below which Ridley thought was good. Might as well do this in a crowd so the word can spread that GD’s wife didn’t need him to defend her. Already some had taken notice of the confrontation brewing between GD’s wife and the up and coming musical starlet. Let the fun begin and said, “Oh wonderful, you speak English. First of all, sweetie, you don’t mind if I call you sweetie, do you?” the girl looked startled. “Come on walk with me and let’s return to the party. 

“Bitch, you….”

“Yes, my dear I am a bitch. A very, very stinking rich bitch. Do you know what rich bitches like me do to jealous little girls like you?” The girl actually looked shocked that Ridley was willing to fight back. Good grief Ridley thought, if you were going to fight someone always do your homework and research a competitor. 

The girl still looked blank so Ridley continued, “Well, let me tell you, and this is something else you might want to remember. I get off on this shit darlin’. Nothing gives me a bigger O that fucking with little angels who try to step into my territory and play my games. Monday morning your agency will be getting a call from me. I am going to buy out your contract. You will spend the rest of your contract singing jingles for cat food or doing hemorrhoid commercials. And don’t doubt I can’t do it honey, because money makes the world go around and I know how to use it.” She leaned over and kissed her on the cheek leaving a very red lip print. “You have a good weekend. See you sometime Monday.” And turning from her pest she glided down the stairs like the lady she was raised. The bitchy little starlet burst into tears and dropped to a heap on the stairs. Friends of hers rushed past Ridley on the stairs as she descended. She paid them no mind.

When she reached the floor, she sidled up next to T.O.P. and Seuguri. T.O.P. raised an eyebrow waiting for an explanation. Seungri just asked outright when she didn’t fall for the bait. “What did you say to her?”

Ridley chuckled evilly, and in a voice pitched so others who of course were snooping on their conversation would hear filled them in. “Oh, she thought she was going to scare the foreigner. Poor little thing, I’m buying her contract Monday. She will be doing jingles for dog and cat food for a while.”

“Ridley, you can’t do that!” Seungri said flabbergasted. TOP looked amused but kept quiet. 

“T.O.P., what do my employees call me?”

“To your face or behind your back?” She outright laughed at that. “She Dragon or that Bitch.” He said monotone. 

She looked at Seungri and the shocked look on his face. “Seungri, the business world knows me, and knows the lengths I will go to for something I want. If I want that little twit modeling adult diapers, she will be prancing her happy ass down a runway in adult diapers or I will sue her for every penny she has ever made, ruin her life, and then ruin her family with no compassion what so ever.” He looked mildly disturbed, but she continued with a tight smile on her face, “Anyway, with all that happening in view of everyone her contract price will probably go up.” She sighs and continues, “But I don’t mind. I will pay it to teach her and anyone else that fucks with me a well needed lesson. Anyway, those little twat waffles can go play in traffic, not bothered.” 

Ridley had no doubt that their conversation would reach every ear on the premises in the next thirty minutes. She also doubted that come Monday morning she would have any more problems with the ladies who thought she was easy rid of. She took a sip of wine and looked around at her rapt audience, “Oh fuck, I just cracked my halo.” She said cutely, batting her eyes. T.O.P. burst into laughter.

An hour later arms encircled her waist and a familiar head propped itself on her shoulder, “Twat waffle? Where do you come up with these things?” Ridley giggled and turned and wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck. She didn’t say anything just kissed him, slowly with a roomful of witnesses to see everything. Both were putting out a message to any and all watching, they were a united front, don’t mess with either without the other coming to his or her defense. 

“When are they leaving, I feel like honeymooning?” She asked. It took him thirty minutes to clear everyone out. In the coming months Loveat canned dog and cat food sales went through the roof. When the little miss had fully learned her lesson, Ridley turned her marketing department loose on her and she was the next break out actress for the coming year. Ridley made a nice profit, and, in the end, no one messed with Mrs. Kwon after she let it be known that she needed someone to sing jingles for toilet tissue.

///  
Outtake Two 

AFTER PARTY - High High

The guest has left, and the house is trashed with only the band mates remaining on the premises. They are gathered in the kitchen doing shots to a successful party. Everyone gathered is at least seventy percent drunk and, on the way, to passing out.

The guys have been teaching Ridley how to drink soju. She is wrapped in Ji-yongs arms because now she is having a little trouble standing. “I know, we need brownies!” she mumbles. “Ji, you want brownies?” He just laughs drunkenly as she pulls her phone from her back pocket. When asked what she is doing she says she’s calling her pilot. She needs brownies. 

Hours later Kwon Ji-yong wakes up somewhere over the pacific midflight in a pile of people. He recognizes the plane at least, with its lavish interior, it’s hard to miss. They are on the LaneCorp family’s personal company jet. Leaning back Ji-yong stretches his arm toward the nearest console to press the button to summon the steward. An older man in a uniform enters the cabin and approaches the pile of people on the floor. “Charles, where are we?” he mumbles. His head is pounding, and his mouth taste like dirty socks.

“Sir we are inflight and scheduled to land in Los Angeles in four hours.”

“Oh Hell.” He mumbles. “Um Charles can you give me a few minutes to wake them up and I’ll let you know when to come back. When you do you might want to bring lots of water and a large bottle of aspirin.”

“Yes sir,” he nods with a small smirk toward his bosses’ husband. Looking down at his boss on the cabin floor he tries not to laugh at her state. She has her husband in a full body hug and on her other side clutching her like a stuffed toy is their fellow friend TOP. Even better is that one more man is on the floor with them spooning TOP, his arm thrown around his waist and his head buried into the back of his neck.

As the door closes Ji-yong mutters to himself, “Haven’t we been here before?” This intern fully wakes his wife curled next to him and briefly brings TOP back to consciousness. 

“Shit moms going to flip now I’ve gone and slept with three guys? “she mutters groggily. TOP laughs elbowing Seungri to push him off. 

“I think my pants are still on. I’m good,” Seungri mumbles as he sleepily nuzzles into Tops shoulder, “You good?”

TOP giggles, “You throw a towel at me and I’ll kick your ass” This wakes Seungri the rest of the way and he sits up looking bewildered and quite disheveled. They all laugh and then wince in pain. 

Charles returns with a tray holding a bottle of aspirin and four bottles of water. “Why are we in a plane and what are we doing on the floor” Seungri asks.

“Madam wanted brownies and then halfway over the Pacific she wanted to go sky diving and it took all of you to convince her otherwise.” He said in a monotone. Ridley pulls a pillow from the chair behind her and covers her face with it.

“Ji-yong?” Seungri whispers.

“Yes?” He replies.

“Ridley can’t have Soju ever again.”

Ji-yong says in G-Dragons firm leader voice, “Banned. For. Life.”

“Hey T.O.P.,” Ridley asks.

“Yes, Ridley,” he mumbles with his forehead pressed into her back. 

“If I want a drink can, I come see you?”

He just giggles. 

/////////

Out Take 3  
Seoul SK - OUT COLD

The camera phone is filming as a door is opened and you can hear a “shush” as the cameras operator motions for the quest to keep quiet. T.O.P. and Seungri along with Ji-yong sneak towards the kitchen following the loud music muffling their laugher as they go. Cake by the Ocean is blasting from a hidden speaker and Ridley is at the stove dancing and singing at the top of her lungs. On the stove is a large pot is bubbling, she reaches into a drawer next to the stove and pulls out a spoon. Tasting the bubbling mixture, she puts the spoon down and picks up spice blend and sprinkles some into the soup. She stirs it in and picks out another spoon and taste yet again. She seems happy with this and moves toward another bowl lifting its lid to check its progress. Ji-yong continues to film as TOP sneaks toward Ridley and wraps his arms around her from behind and places his chin on her shoulder. 

“Baby, we don’t have any time for honeymooning, we’ve got guest coming and its almost time to put the shellfish in.” Ridley says distracted by the food cooking in front of her.

“Too bad my Princess” TOP rumbles into her ear and she screams. Laughter erupts from the guys as she breaks from his arms and turns to face them with a huge smile and then with an odd look eyes roll back and she starts to slide to the floor in a dead faint. TOP grabbed her before her head hit the floor. His eyes are wide in panic and the others are panicking as well. They all remember very well what brought Ridley to Korea and into their lives the first time.

Ji-yong pulls her from TOP’s arms and on to his lap, patting her face, “Ridley, Ridley, honey wake up.” His voice shakes in fear for his wife. Is it another aneurism? No, she’s breathing, he pats her cheeks. She is so pale with no reaction. “Seungri take that pot off the burner and turn off everything. TOP call an ambulance.” He falls into the leader persona effortlessly.

Thirty minutes later they are in the emergency room. Ridley is awake but pale and scared. Ji-yong sits on the bed holding her hand whispering reassurances that everything will be okay. TOP and Seungri hug the wall trying their best to look inconspicuous. It’s too late for that because everyone that isn’t in pain or out cold in the ER is watching them. Someone has tipped off paparazzi and there is a crowd at the entrance outside. Two doctors walk into their cubical. The younger is holding a clipboard flipping through the chart. Everyone stares eager for an answer to what caused Ridley to collapse. The older of the two smiles reassuringly at them and clears his throat. “Mr. and Mrs. Kwon, the test we have come back are fine. There are no reoccurring issues with your past problem Mrs. Kwon. But we did find something new.” Everyone in the small group’s eyes widen in fear. The doctor sees this and smiles to calm their fears, “It’s not bad, but your life will change a bit. You are two months pregnant, congratulations.” His grin is wide as he gives the news to the new parents to be.

Ji-yong’s face is at first blank and then he laughs his eyes lighting up and a gummy smile is plastered on his face. “A baby! It’s a baby, Ridley, we’re having a baby” he envelops her in a hug. Ridley if anything looks more frightened as her eyes peep over his shoulder at the other two men occupying their cubical, Seungri and TOP whoop loud enough to disturb the floors above them and are doing high fives. 

“Uncle TOP, sounds nice.” He is grinning. That is just what he needs more small kids his age Ridley thinks. 

“Uncle Ri, I’m going to show him how to get all the girls”

“Oh God Help me, you aren’t showing my son anything.” Ridley says from the hug. “The first time he grabs some strange women’s boob or says anything bad I’m coming after you. You just watch, it’s going to be a girl and see how you like little pervs like you chasing after her.

That got Ji-yong to pull back and shush them all. “No boys near my girl, girls’ schools only.”

Ridley snorted unladylike. “You keep thinking that sweetie, she will be a female version of you. Wild with an attitude. Oh, I hope she looks like you.” 

/////////

OUT TAKE 4  
Seoul SK - THE PUPPIES

Baby Shark 

The Akita puppies were adorable with their squeaky little puppy bark and whines for attention. For a moment she just hugged them both and inhaled their fresh puppy smell. It was love at first site. “I couldn’t get one without the other.” Ji-yong said, “The brother whined and cried so loud when I took his partner that I told the breeder that I would take them both.” He looked down at his wife snuggling with the puppies on the floor and knew he had done the correct thing. “I knew you would love them. You do, don’t you?”. He looked unsure for the moment. 

She burst into tears, “I love them, and our babies will grow up with them too.” She cried, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. “I’m sorry pregnancy hormones.” More tears flowed with the apology. A pregnant Ridley was a very hormonal Ridley. The moods changed on a dime.

He thought fast for something to change the tears to smiles, “What are their names?”

This perked her up instantly. “Jimin and Tae Tae!” Inwardly he screamed in horror. It this gets out to the media he will never live it down that G Dragon’s wife named her dogs after her twin Bias’s from BTS. 

“No, just no.”

“Yes, look at them. It’s a doggy version of both my bias’s. Look how cute and goofy they are. The pouting one is Jimin and the angelic one is Tae Tae.” 

Puppy Jimin waddled over and began to chew on one of Ji-yongs new shoes that he had toed off by the door. He rolled it over with a paw and when he finally got it in his mouth, he shook the shoe for all his little body was worth. Dropping it and growling at the shoe like it was an invader in his new home he then attacked the laces and proceeded to wage puppy warfare against the offending shoe.

Ignoring his brother as he battled Tae Tae walked around inspecting his new home. He found great interest in a basket and a house plant sniffing at each until losing interest to look for a new smell. Feeling an urge, he stopped in the middle of the room squatted and made a cute puddle on the floor before continuing his search for new sights and smells. Upon his second transit of the room he walked through the puddle. Turning to look at what had wet his paws he discovered the small puddle of liquid. He walked through it once more and then circled the puddle. Passing a wet paw print and not recognizing it has his own he walked back through the puddle till the puddle had spread out from its beginning to form a circular collection of prints. He then sat there and observed the prints as they slowly dried as if he was observing fine art.

Ji-yong not noticing the art piece being created in the middle of his entry hall due to arguing with Jimin over the ownership of his shoe looked up at a cute puppy sneeze to find the wet paw prints. He let out a frustrated sigh. He had a feeling those ‘cute’ little fuckers were going to make his life hell. 

“I need five more puppies.”

“I love you with all I have but there is no way in hell five more is coming in this house.” He said looking down at his once pristine floor now riddled with puppy urine paw prints and the very pleased furry artist sitting there on its backside with an angelic ‘who me’ look on its little puppy face. 

/////////

Out take 5  
Parks, Puppies, and Flower boys

Ji-yong will be back later with the guys, they have been working two days straight piecing together a new track for their comeback album. Ridley is so bored in the apartment and her back has been steadily hurting all morning and her feet are swelling and she bloody hates being pregnant. Don’t get her wrong, she can’t wait for her babies to be here but with three weeks to go it feels like forever when you are the size of a small whale. 

She would love to soak in a warm bath but she is afraid to try because the weekend before Ji-yong had to rescue her from the bathtub because she couldn’t get up and out of it no matter which way she tried to turn. It’s embarrassing to her to feel so helpless and not in control of her body. She is determined to be back in a bikini by summer, so she ordered a jogging stroller online with plans to use it the very day that her doctor gives her the okay to exercise. Her and her babies are going to jog the whole of Seoul till she gets her shape back. 

Today she is in a small park near their apartment with Jimin and Tae tae her two nine-month-old Akita puppies. She didn’t let her assistant slash bodyguard know she was leaving because she is tired of them too. Every time she is asked, ‘are you okay’ or ‘can I get you something’ she just wants to scream. Every little thing is getting on her nerves today. She just wants to sit and watch her puppies play in the park in peace. Ji-yong has declared that she is not to have any stress or even lift a sheet of paper and she is annoyed with that too. She plops down on the first available bench she sees. This is an exclusive area so there is hardly anyone here that doesn’t live in the area, so she isn’t worried about being harassed. 

Jimin and Tae tae play together well. After a while and a few whines and begging she lets them off their leads so they can run around her bench and chase each other. They want her to play with them which she obviously can’t do because of being very pregnant. She watches two boys play frisbee in the center of the park. What is in the water here? Beautiful flower boys and tiny little giggling girls are everywhere and she is a beached whale on a bench desperately missing her husband and his reassurances that she is the center of his world and still beautiful regardless of this round ball of a belly leading the way everywhere she goes. 

Ji-yong has been fascinated with the process of her pregnancy and the growth of their children. He talks to them every night and morning and asks them to be good to their mommy and not kick so hard. He sings to her belly at night in bed and she swears the two babies still their movements to listen to their daddy. It’s beautiful and sweet and makes her love him more. Now she wants to cry again because she misses Ji-yong. 

The frisbee has caught the attention of her two naughty puppies and when it lands short of one of the players Tae tae runs for it and scoops it up in his mouth and runs with it with Jimin barking and chasing him. The boys are laughing and are being good sports, chasing the puppies which just add to their fun. In some doggy form of jealousy Jimin pulls the frisbee from Tae Tae’s mouth and runs the opposite way from the running boys. She watches for a moment amused and then stands to go get her naughty boys. But with an embarrassing gush of water down her legs she realizes that her water has broken. She can’t stop the cry of pain as the first contraction hits. Oh no she is in labor! Her dogs realizing her distress run toward her with the two boys not far behind.

She is bent over clutching her stomach with one hand and the other on the bench back gripping it for all she is worth as the contraction peaks. “Oh, Oh, Ouch, that hurts. I need help.” She says as the boys come to a running halt in front of her. Her brain is trying to remember some of the Korean she has learned but the fear has erased most of what she has learned and practiced repeatedly. “Ajeossi, sillyehamnida. jom dowa um… jusigesseoyo,” somehow the phrase for help comes to the forefront and she hopes she got it correct.

“Miss let us help,” the taller of the boys speaks very good English and she is so thankful she starts crying which scares the other boy by the look of his eyes, which go wide and round over the white face mask covering his lower face. Poor fellow looks like he will panic and faint if she makes one more squeak which instantly clears up her tears and makes her giggle. This clears up her thoughts and helps to calm her down.

“Can one of you call an ambulance for me I think my babies want to come early? And can the other of you call my husband?” She pulls a business card from the pocket of her dress and hands the card to the first one out with their phone. The other is quick to get out his phone and dial the emergency number. He speaks in rapid Korean apprising emergency services of the of the situation and requesting help.

The other takes the card from her and stepping away from her dials the number. “Kwon Ji-yong?” the conversation they have is lost in translation, but she did understand, “water broke and ambulance.” Oh, Ji-yong will be so upset with her for not having someone with her. She whole heartedly regrets ditching her security now.   
The ambulance arrives at the park entrance and they wave it down. It slowly hops the curb and creeps through the park toward them. The boy who speaks English explains calmly and soothingly to her that she will be taken to a nearby hospital. The other still on the phone relays the information to Ji-yong which hospital to go to. Another cramp hits her she almost keels over moaning in pain. The boy who speaks English well just pats her hand as the ambulance technicians pull the bed from the back of the vehicle and start to wheel it their way. He reassures her that all will be ok and doesn’t say a word about the death grip she has on his hand. The other boy just loudly squeaks into the phone at her husband, “Contraction, contraction!” His eyes are wide in panic and he looks like he may run at any moment. It makes her laugh through the pain. Poor kid looks terrified. The ambulance aid gets her on the gurney and her gallant rescuer volunteers to ride with her to the hospital since neither of the ambulance crew speaks English.

After they leave Hoseok looks down at the card shaking in his hand and reads the name one more time. “Holy fuck, that was G-Dragons wife!” he exclaims in a squeak, his eyes wide. And looking down here realizes he has G-Dragons dogs! He will call in a day or so and arrange for their return. He sits on the ground to pet the worried dogs and reattach the leashes to their collars. Poor little guys pay him no attention as they look toward the ambulance as it leaves the park with their mommy and whine dejectedly. 

He pets them and hugs each and soon they are wagging their tails and wanting to play again. He looks at their collars so he can call them by their names and his eyes widen at the first name plate, he quickly looks at the other dogs name plate, “Jimin and Tae Tae,” he says reading from the gold nameplates on the collar. He can’t hold in his laughter; it bubbles forth and echoes across the park. He had heard the rumors that G-Dragons wife was a fan but to see these collars he realizes that the rumors are true, she really is army! She must have been in a lot of pain not to realize who had been helping her. He stands up and starts to lead the dogs back to the apartment. He hopes that the others are home, he can’t wait to show off these two little guys to their namesakes. Suga, Jin, and Jungkookie are going to love this, and when Namjoon gets home there will be many pictures taken. Oh wow, this is made for a V live! G-Dragons wife is Army! 

The ambulance is met at hospital by Dami and her mother in law. A moment later a red Lexus screeches to a halt behind the ambulance and a man jumps from the passenger side and runs to their side. Ridley is in tears as they pull the gurney off the ambulance and the young man beside her holding her hand looks to be is similar pain with the grip she has on his hand. With the appearance of her husband she lets go of the man’s hand and holds hers out for Ji-yong. He grabs it and leaning down kisses her brow and begins to ask a thousand questions as to how she is doing, ignoring all the others.

Dami and Mrs. Kwon, reassure the couple that they will be here until the baby is born as the orderlies push the gurney with Ridley to the back. Both soon to be parents look scared and eager for this to be over.

Namjoon watches all this and when they are out of site turns to the older woman and her daughter and bows. “I’m Namjoon, my friend and I helped the lady in the park. We have her dogs and will take care of them for her so please assure her all will be well.” He presents Dami with a business card and bows again before leaving.

Looking down at the card after he walks out Dami’s eyes widen and then she looks up with a grin. “Wow,” she says to her mother, “That was RM from BTS! Ridley will flip when she finds out she got to meet him and didn’t know who he was.” 

//////

Two days later Kwon Ji-yong and his wife are each lovingly holding a child in their arms cooing over little fingers and toes as they watch their babies nurse from the small newborn size bottles. Since the twins are three weeks early, they will have to spend a little time in hospital until they weigh enough before they are released to go home. With a knock on the door a nurse peeks in and asks Ji-yong if he will step out for a moment.

He steps out to see four young men. Two are holding small stuffed teddy bears with pink and blue ribbons decorating them. One of the others holds a bouquet of flowers and the other a handful of happy balloons with congratulations messages decorating them in bright colors. Its four members of BTS, this is just too hilarious. He didn’t have the heart to tell Ridley of who had helped her in the park. He knew she would be mortified that they had seen her is such a condition, so he had kept quiet. He had planned to tell her once they were home but with the arrival of her visitors, he knew she was going to find out now. This should be funny, and it should be filmed.

He stood there holding his son and laughed quietly and then thanked them for their help and generosity. He then gestured them forward only realizing the door to the room had closed behind him and as he was still holding a baby, he looked blankly at it for a moment, he is still getting the hang of this new parenting thing. Namjoon quickly comes to the new father’s rescue and opens it for him to walk back in. 

“Ridley, you have some visitors. The guys from the park and some of their friends have come by to congratulate us and make sure you are well.” He steps aside and she sees four boys hiding their faces with teddy bears, flowers and balloons. ‘How strange’, she thinks and then they lower the items and reveal who they are. 

“Congratulations!” They whisper loudly and their faces are all wide smiles. She had to fight her squee! Her eyes are wide with surprise.

“Oh heavens, ya’ll are the boys from the park,” she gestures or tries to with a baby in her arms toward Namjoon who holds the balloons “and you are the one that escorted me here.” She blushes a pretty pink. “Thank you, guys, so much!”

J-hope pipes up, “And I am the one that is taking good care of little Jimin and Tae tae.” He says excited and bouncing. Since the real Jimin, holding a bear with a pink ribbon, and Taehung, holding the bear with a blue ribbon are standing beside him she blushes even darker pink. They both have wide smiles and quickly bow and say hello in English. 

“Um, hi.”

////

As they are leaving, they hear, “I need five more puppies.”  
“I’ll buy you five goldfish instead.”  
“Puppies.”  
“Parakeets.”  
“But honey.”  
“I will buy you a zoo honey, but no more puppies in the house.


End file.
